Camellia japonica
by Hide In Darkness
Summary: My take on what might have happened if someone had noticed and reported the abuse Severus endured at the hands of his father. - WARNING: graphic physical child abuse, domestic violence, mention of suicide
1. Prologue

Summary:

My take on what might have happened if someone had noticed and reported the abuse Severus endured at the hands of his father.

Rating: T

Warning:

graphic physical abuse, domestic violence, mention of suicide

Author's Note:

This story definitely is AU, even to my headcanon and my other stories, a what-if.

There will be no more trigger warnings in later chapters, only the one above.

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Prologue**

Police record

Date: 16/02/1970 6:30 pm

Complaint: shouting and loud crashes

Place: 21 Spinner's End, Snape family

Officers: Officer Miller, Officer Graham

Ten minutes after the call we arrived at the house, we still heard shouting, but no crashes. After several knocks and demands to open the door an obviously drunk Mr Snape appeared. He asked what we wanted, to which we repeated the complaint. We also insisted to enter the house and check if anyone was hurt, due to the reported crashes. Mr Snape agreed after a lot of persuasion.

At first we could only make out some broken furniture, it was rather dark inside. Next we spotted Mrs Snape; she had a split lip, bruised cheek and looked frightened. At last we saw a small form in the darkest corner of the room. At a closer look we realised it was young Mr Snape, the couple's son. He was unconscious and bleeding from multiple wounds all over his torso.

Officer Miller immediately arrested Mr Snape on charge of child abuse and domestic violence and called an ambulance, while Officer Graham tended to the child and his mother. The boy was taken to hospital. Mr and Mrs Snape, as her injuries were minor, were brought to the police station for questioning.

Medical record

Name: Severus Snape

Date of Birth: 09/01/1960

Father: Tobias Snape

Mother: Eileen Snape

The boy arrived unconscious, the officers said he hadn't been awake when they had found him either. He has a cut on his left temple, maybe passed out from that.

At first sight he appeared very fragile; he is too short for his age (4'4'') and extremely malnourished (54lb).

He has many bruises and fresh wounds on his back, sides and arms, looks like he's been whipped. Multiple times, judging by the amount of scar tissue underneath. Some injures have the shape of a belt buckle, others are straight cuts, maybe a switch. His feet and hands are scarred as well. He also has a scar on his right wrist above the veins, might have been done by himself.

His right wrist and forearm are broken, the right shoulder is dislocated. Six ribs are cracked or broken, the lungs are not punctured. Two vertebrae of his lumbar region have small cracks, nothing serious, but definitely painful. He probably hit the wall repeatedly. There are also multiple old fractures on his wrists, arms, shoulders, ribs, legs and ankles.

He has a high fever, 39.7°C, and a bad cold. His kidneys are bruised, likely from hard kicks to that region.

No signs of sexual abuse.


	2. Chapter 1

Guest reviewer: Now comes the next chapter.

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

It had started when he was just a few weeks away from his sixth birthday. Severus doubted he would ever forget this particular night. He had no idea what had triggered it. Too much alcohol, a lost bet, a bad day at work, it could've been anything, or nothing. It didn't really matter anyway.

He had received his first scar that night. It hadn't been the last, and he didn't want to think about how many new ones he would get tonight. He still hurt all over from the last few days.

It was nearing 9 pm, but his father was still away. Severus both feared and hoped for him to be late. Maybe, just maybe, he would pass out before he could do any damage. But the later the hour, the more drunk he got, and therefore more inclined to violence.

Right now Severus was trying to concentrate on his homework. Not an easy task, when he was half listening for suspicious sounds from outside. Or when every breath hurt thanks to some cracked ribs from last nights beating.

'Go to bed, dear', sounded the soft voice of his mother from the kitchen. She was about to clean the house. Or tried to, given that it always looked dirty, somehow. 'You have school tomorrow, you should get some sleep.'

'It's fine, mom', Severus replied. He would be in trouble for not doing his homework, again. The first time the school had informed his father hadn't been nice, he had no desire to repeat that experience. Not that he wouldn't get a beating anyway, but it was worse then the man actually had a reason.

Speaking of the devil... Heavy footsteps sounded outside. Hastily Severus put away his stuff. Too late to go to his room, he would face his father on the way. Better pretend to do something than appear lazy by standing around uselessly. So he went to the kitchen to help his mother.

A key was pushed into the lock, after several attempts, the door opened and the heavy footsteps entered the house. The man made his they to the kitchen, and Severus tensed.

'Boy, what are you doing up that late?' Severus flinched. The drunken slur, the stench of alcohol. It sent a cold shiver down his spine. He slowly turned around, facing the subject of his nightly terrors. Tobias Snape stood towering over him. Though in his early forties, he definitely looked older, thanks to the dark circles around his eyes and the thinning dark hair. His gaze was fixed on his son, cowering in front of him. The mean expression in the dark pits promised pain. 'I asked you a question!'

'Nothing, sir.' Wrong answer. His panicked reply immediately earned him a blow to the chin. Severus hoped it wouldn't bruise too bad. The teachers couldn't see. Lily couldn't see! He couldn't bear the thought of her knowing what was going on here.

'Nothing, eh?' His father grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. 'You being lazy again, ungrateful brat!' He was thrown across the room. Severus knew better than to try and get up again. 'I'm going to work ALL DAY! Trying to get some money to feed you and your useless freak of a mother! And you? You're doing nothing!' By now Tobias was mercilessly kicking his son wherever he could reach him. Some of Severus' already cracked ribs broke completely, but he didn't dare make a sound of pain. His father was still screaming at him, calling him useless, ungrateful, a freak, nothing he wasn't used to already. Unconsciousness was upon him, sweet darkness beckoning him with the promise of painlessness.

'You better start showing some respect, or I'm gonna teach you', his father spat at him before turning back towards the kitchen, looking for an excuse to hurt his wife. Only now did Severus make attempts to get up. Abuse directed at him he could endure, but he always tried to protect his mother. He wanted to push himself up, follow his father, take the anger directed at Eileen. But he lacked the strength to do so. Most of his wounds had reopened, the broken ribs made breathing an agonizing affair, his entire body hurt like hell.

He dimly heard shouting nearby, then blackness finally consumed him.

* * *

The barest touch on his shoulder woke him. Eileen was kneeling next to him, a bit of dried blood on her lip, split and swollen. A bruise was forming along her right cheek. How long had he been out? How much had he missed? How much did she have to endure because he wasn't there to protect her?

'Severus, dear, go to bed, get some rest', his mother whispered. She held out a hand and helped him up. He leaned against the wall for support, feeling dizzy from the sudden movement. After a few seconds he made a careful step towards the stairs. He winced in pain, Tobias must have caught him somewhere on the legs. Nevertheless he kept walking. Staying here wouldn't be a good decision, remaining out of his father's sight was the best option he had.

Eileen was holding his arm all the way to his room in the cellar, keeping him upright. Only his mothers soft grip kept Severus from collapsing onto his thin mattress. He nodded his thanks at her as she left the room and silently closed the door. He started to drift away, barely managed to take off his shirt before he fell asleep.

* * *

Severus wanted to be out of the house before his father got up. He didn't mind being early at school, he could use the time to study or do the rest of his homework. He just shouldn't be caught by a teacher doing the latter.

Today he would do neither. He hurt too much to concentrate on anything. Funny, he thought, because when he got the switch the pain was worse, a lot worse, but he hardly had these kind of problems the next day. Maybe he was just more used to it.

With a start he realized he had been dazing off, sitting on a bench behind the school. Falling asleep here wasn't a good idea. Being late for, or missing, first period would get him into even more trouble than not doing homework.

'Sev, what are you doing out here? It's freezing!' Severus nearly jumped out of his skin. He hadn't heard Lily approaching. 'Easy, it's me. No need to be afraid', she said jokingly, not knowing that to him, it wasn't a joke.

'Sorry, I just didn't expect you here that early', he replied, turning around to face his friend. She was wearing a thick red jacket along with a yellow scarf and woolly hat, matching her flaming red hair perfectly. She practically shone like a torch in the cold winter morning, her warm smile adding to that impression. The smile that froze as she studied his face.

'What happened to your chin?' Damn, he had completely forgotten about the bruise there. When he'd checked this morning in the mirror it had been faint, easily concealed. But Lily always looked closer than other people. He simply shrugged.

'Bruises don't come from nothing, you know.' She wanted an explanation. He couldn't blame her, she cared about other people's well-being. Too much for her own sake, in some cases. Such as his.

'It was an accident.' Well, it had been, in some way.

'An accident', Lily repeated, disbelieve evident in her expression.

'Don't worry about it, I'll be more careful next time.' He certainly would, if his mind cared to function properly around his father. If he wasn't overwhelmed with fear.

But she seemed to be satisfied with that and dropped the subject, instead starting to talk about their homework. He was only half listening, instead focusing on keeping the pain from his ribs at bay. They had slightly moved when he had jumped and now hurt more than before.

'… I don't really understand what Mr Jenkins wants to know there. What did you write?' It took Severus a few seconds to realize Lily had asked him something. He quickly averted his eyes, hiding behind his curtains of black hair.

'You didn't to it.' It wasn't a question, nevertheless he was too ashamed to answer.

'Do you really have that much trouble with your homework?' Of course she knew it wasn't that. He was one of the brightest students in his class. When it came to learning something new, at least. His grades weren't that good. His concentration tended to slip away as soon as an adult was talking to him. That was when he started to panic. And written test weren't much better. The teacher's stare was enough to make him tense. It wasn't that he didn't know the answers, he simply forgot everything at this moment.

'No, it's not that. It's just...' He trailed off. How could he say that without sounding suspicious? 'I don't really have the time to do it when I'm home.'

'We could do it together, if you like. It's more fun, anyway', Lily offered.

'You would do that?'

'Of course, if it helps you. Besides, I could use your brains on some of those tasks. Especially science.' He doubted that, she was above mediocre as well. But he liked helping her. So, why not give it a try? It could save him at least a few lashes.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Some minutes later they entered the classroom. History with Mr Jenkins, the subject Lily had talked about. The man was already there, preparing some papers for the lesson. Severus let his friend choose their seats. She went to the last row, though she'd probably rather sit in the front.

The lesson started as usual. Mr Jenkins walked through the rows, checking that everyone had done their homework, commenting on some. Where he would like a bit more, complimenting those who had written more than he had expected.

'Oh, Ms Evans, not as much as you usually write', he said when coming to their table. Normally she wrote down everything she could think of, sometimes filling page after page.

'No, sir. I didn't quite get your question, so I wrote what I think you meant.'

'Well, that can happen. But we're here to learn, aren't we?' With that he went on to Severus. 'And where is your homework, Mr Snape?', Mr Jenkins demanded.

'I didn't do it, sir', he replied with barely more than a whisper.

'How often did you forget it now? Your parents were already informed about this. I thought they talked to you, or did they not?'

'Yes, sir.' More or less. The _talking_ had consisted of a lot of shouting and even more use of the switch. It hadn't been about the homework in particular, either. His father didn't care about education. What he did care about, though, was his son causing trouble, not only to him, but to others as well. Because some day one of them might use their brain and look for a reason.

'You really had more than enough time over the weekend. I gave you one small question to work on. A bit of thinking, yes, but easily done within half an hour. I really can't understand why you didn't do this', his teacher went on. With every word Severus cowered a bit more, half expecting him to lash out and hit him. Of course part of him knew that Mr Jenkins wouldn't do that. Another part, the bigger one, didn't care about knowledge, but acted on instinct and memory. It was this learned instinct which told him that for doing something wrong, he would receive a beating.

'I'm sorry, sir.' He clenched his fists, preventing them from shaking. Or rather, preventing his teacher from noticing.

'You will be in detention for an hour on Wednesday and Thursday. You will also hand in a detailed answer to this homework, tomorrow. And I will give you a letter for your parents, informing them about your failure to complete assigned tasks at home. Again. Do you understand?'

'Yes, sir.' Apparently satisfied the teacher turned around and walked back to the front of the classroom. Slowly he relaxed again, the immediate danger gone.

'I'll help you with the essay', Lily whispered from the seat next to him. He only nodded. The other pupils were already snickering, laughing beneath their breath. They liked it when he was in trouble.

The lesson went on with correcting the homework by comparing the answers. After that they went on with the subject. They were learning something about the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons to England. Severus didn't care much about that, it hadn't been that big of an event in the magical history of this country. The following years yes, but not the first few battles which they were discussing now. He looked out of the window, letting his thoughts drift away. Too far apparently.

'Sev, stay awake!', Lily whispered. Damn, he had been dazing off again. 'What is it? You being absent-minded, okay, I'm used to that. But almost falling asleep? That's not normal for you.'

'I'm fine.' He wasn't. Every breath hurt, and not only from the broken ribs. He knew his temperature was too high as well. He must have caught a cold. Sleeping in a damp cellar wasn't beneficial to his bad health. Lily eyed him suspiciously. Of course she didn't believe him. 'Please, just drop it.'

'Mr Snape, pay attention! You can use it', Mr Jenkins called from the front. He was shaking his head at him before going on with his subject. Lily gave him another concerned look, then turned back to the lesson as well. Severus tried to concentrate this time.

He was glad when the bell sounded again, signalling the end of this class. History was boring to him, it didn't help that he didn't like the teacher. Worse, Mr Jenkins didn't seem to like him either.

Next came science, combining biology, chemistry and physics. It was definitely his best subject. His mother had tried to teach him about potions and herbology as often as she could, when his father wasn't around. It was the only thing she could do without using magic.

* * *

The rest of the school day passed slowly, but it passed. Severus was tired throughout the whole time. He should really try to get more rest at night. Or at least go to bed earlier, resting wasn't possible anyway when his father could storm into his room any moment. But for now he was free of him. School was over and he didn't have to be home until sunset. As usual he spent his afternoon with Lily at her house. At first he had felt uncomfortable being in another family's house, but after some weeks he didn't mind any more.

Most of the time they were talking, or rather, she was telling him what she was doing with her family and he would listen. He had nothing to add about his family, nothing she was supposed to know. At some point they started with their homework. It really was easier and faster done together. They discussed questions and helped each other when one didn't understand a task.

But no matter how nice a time they had, it had to pass as well as school. Suddenly the letter in his bag felt all too present, weighing down on his mood. Simply letting his mother sign it wasn't an option. He had tried it last time, when he had gotten a reprimand for starting a fight, which he hadn't, and had been in even more trouble when his father had found out he was keeping secrets from him. How he had known, Severus had no idea.

The sun was already nearing the horizon, damn those short winter days. He had to leave if he didn't want to face the consequences of being late. After saying goodbye to Lily he made his way through the streets of Cokeworth, every step taking him farther away from the warm, welcoming part of town to the cold, hateful worker's district. Severus hated it. The run-down houses. The cold, not only from the weather, but from the people. The poverty, the dirt, the rubbish everywhere. The violence. Police was hardly present here, they had given up. He hated them for it, too.

All too soon the chimney of the old mill loomed over Spinner's End. Severus hadn't realized he had been slowing down the nearer he got to his house, causing him to almost arriving after curfew. He hadn't noticed his trembling hands, either. Well, he would get a beating anyway, he thought, this small sign of fear couldn't make it much worse. It didn't get through to him. The fear grew and grew with every step he took towards the door. He stood there for several moments, shaking. No matter how often he told himself that he was strong, that he needed to protect his mother, that he was better than Tobias, the fear would always returned as soon as he was about to face the man. Damn it, he had magic! And still he was too weak to fight his father, still helpless against his wrath.

Severus allowed himself to take another deep breath, then he knocked on the old wooden door.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Eileen opened the door, finding her son with fear evident in his features. She eyed him questioningly.

'I got a letter from school', Severus said, his voice just above a whisper.

'You didn't finish your homework yesterday, did you?' He nodded, she sighed. There was no way she could help him with this. She tried to smile sympathetically at him. Tried and failed, too great was her sorrow, her pity on what was about to happen. 'Well, better come inside, then.' Waiting any longer wouldn't help the situation.

While making his way to the living room, Severus took out the letter with trembling hands. He sat his bag down against the wall before walking over to where his father sat in an old armchair, beer bottle in hand. He placed the paper on the table next to the man and waited.

'What is that, boy?', Tobias demanded while getting up and turning towards his cowering son.

'It's a letter from school, sir', Severus replied carefully. The backhanded blow caught him hard on the cheek, making him stagger.

'I can see that myself, useless brat! I asked what it is!' Another blow hit him in the face.

'I didn't do my history homework. Mr Jenkins...' He had no chance to say another word before he was thrown across the room. Again. With a thud he landed a few feet away, the air rushing out of his lungs. His father was shouting at him, all the while kicking his son, picking him up and slamming him against the wall or some furniture. Severus didn't hear a single word Tobias was screaming, too great was the pain all over his body. Unfortunately he missed the order to take off his shirt, earning him a few brutal kicks to the ribcage, breaking yet another two ribs. Hastily he followed the order, wincing when the fabric scraped over the freshly reopened wounds.

Then came the switch. He had expected it, still the burning sting of the first lash caught him by surprise. The small piece of wood landed on his bare back with enough force to rip open the skin. Severus arched away in agony, barely keeping the scream from escaping him. He bit down on his lip as the lashes came rushing down on him. Warm blood was running down his back, along with the fiery pain each stroke caused. Soon a familiar coppery taste was filling his mouth.

Suddenly he heard a loud crack, as if the switch had broken. Indeed the sound of wood falling onto the floor followed. Severus was allowed a moment to catch his breath. He was shaking all over, his head throbbed like hell. He had probably hit it earlier, he didn't know. To his horror the brake didn't end with shouting, a few more kicks and then permission to go to his room, but with the sounds of a belt being unbuckled and pulled off.

The belt didn't hurt as bad as the switch, but it was bad enough, especially in the state his back was in. He had slipped in and out of consciousness while his father had used the other implement on him, now blackness was looming ever closer.

A knock sounded on the door just as Severus passed out.

* * *

'Cokeworth Police Department, how can I help you?'

'Good evening. There are loud noises at 21 Spinner's End, shouting and crashing. It's been going on for more than a quarter of an hour now. Could you please send someone?'

'The Snape family?'

'Yeah, I think.'

'Okay, we're sending someone over. Thank you for your call, have a nice evening.'

Great, another complaint about the Snapes. As if the patriarch of the family didn't make enough problems outside of his house. Arresting him would definitely be easier, but those few quarrels and minor offences weren't enough for that. The officer on the phone searched for a patrol near the area and repeated the complaint to them.

Ten minutes later Officer Miller and Officer Graham exited their car and made their way to the front door. Every house in this street, in this entire part of town, was run down, but this one seemed to be the dirtiest of them all.

'That man has a loud voice, I have to admit', Miller commented. Though still several feet away from the building, they already heard the source of the complaint. Though they couldn't make out any crashing noises, the shouting couldn't be overheard.

'And the temper for it', Graham added. They had dealt with Mr Snape before. More often than they cared to count. Mostly they had to escort him home, drunk as he was. Sometimes he was involved in a fist fight. Despite the high level of alcohol in his system the man had an astonishingly precise aim. His opponents usually left with a split lip or even a broken nose.

Graham knocked on the door, there was no door bell. And even if, it certainly wouldn't have worked. The shouting didn't stop, in fact it grew even louder as a female voice joined in. They couldn't make out any words, though. The officer knocked again, louder this time, still no reaction.

'Police, open the door!', Graham demanded with the next knock. He couldn't hear Mrs Snape any more, but her husband didn't seem to have noticed. He had to repeat the call a few more times before the voice finally stilled and they could hear thundering footsteps coming towards the door.

'What do you want?', Mr Snape snarled at them, not caring that the police was standing in front of his house, not some teenagers. The stench of alcohol hit them, not at all surprising.

'Good evening, Mr Snape. There has been a complaint about loud noise from this address. We've been witnessing this for several minutes now before you even heard us', Miller explained. The addressed narrowed his eyes, making him look quite furious.

'If those blasted freaks just behaved like normal people, I wouldn't have to tell them off all the time!', the man answered, almost shouting again. The officers looked at each other. Was he speaking about his own wife and son? Maybe it was just drunk talk, but calling his own family freaks?

'Whatever. It's been going on for a while, there has been a complaint, so we have to check if everything is alright. Can we come in and see if someone got hurt?', Miller went on.

'Why? Everything's fine. Or am I forbidden to tell my son and wife off, now?'

'No, of course not. It's just a standard procedure we have to follow. There was some crashing reported as well, so there might be someone injured. We'll take a quick look, then we'll be gone again.'

'I told you, everything's fine. What else do you need?' Damn, this man was stubborn. _Always fun to deal with him_ , Graham thought.

'Mr Snape', Miller said, slightly annoyed now, 'we're obligated to check that ourselves. Now, you can let us in, do our duty. Or you can deny us, receive a caution and we'll come back with a warrant to search your house.' Well, that wasn't exactly true, there was no justified reason for a warrant, but it did the trick. They were reluctantly allowed entrance, the man grumbling on under his breath.

The officers had to blink several times before they were used to the dim lighting inside. Most of the light bulbs were broken, some flickering and only a few functioning properly. The floor was dirty and the furniture covered in dust. The wallpaper was coming off in some places, revealing the brickwork beneath. The wooden stairs didn't look like they could support a fully grown human, especially someone as corpulent as Tobias Snape.

Mrs Snape was standing near the kitchen, her head bowed. She looked scared, not daring to move. At their entrance she raised her head, showing a split lip and bruised face. Again Miller and Graham exchanged a concerned glance, while the woman nervously looked at her husband.

'Good evening, ma'am. Is everything alright? We heard you and your husband arguing', Miller inquired. The woman opened her mouth, but closed it again without a word. She just nodded instead.

Graham looked around, searching for their son. Hardly any furniture was still intact. Most of the shelves along the walls had at least one broken board. Some of this must have happened recently, there were books and damaged decorations lying on the floor. Empty beer bottles were covering the space around the small coffee table and the only armchair in the room. Latter was losing its stuffing in some places. Something lay in another corner. Wait...

The officer went over to the corner. What he had thought, hoped, to be just a pile of rubbish was actually the young Mr Snape. The boy was curled up against the wall, protecting the organs accessible via the belly. Which had definitely been necessary, given what the rest of his body looked like. He was a mess. A horrible, bloody mess. He had bruises all over, several of his ribs were definitely broken. He was breathing heavily, irregularly. His hair was caked with blood from a cut on his temple. Graham almost vomited at the sight of his back. It looked like he'd been whipped, brutally, multiple times.

The child wasn't conscious.

'What have you done to your son?', he demanded. Silence, no answer. 'WHAT have you done to YOUR SON!'

'That brat deserved it! Constantly in trouble, good for nothing. Without some proper discipline he'll never be of any use! It's not against the law for me to punish my son.' What? The officer couldn't believe his ears. Had that man actually just said that? About his own son?

'This is beyond discipline, beyond punishment. This is outright abuse!' The officer was close to tears, he had never seen something this horrible ever in his life. And he had seen quite a lot of blood and violence in his more than twenty years in this job.

'Mr Snape, I am arresting you on charge of child abuse and domestic violence against your son and wife.' Officer Miller immediately acted before the man could make a run for it. He went on with reading him his rights while handcuffing him. 'I'll call an ambulance', he said as the two left.

Graham nodded and turned back to the boy. Well, there wasn't much he could do before the ambulance arrived. Those injuries were beyond his knowledge of first aid. He reached for his forehead to feel the temperature. The boy flinched. He was unconscious and still flinched. Gods, what had his father done to this poor child! After a moments hesitation he touched the boy's skin. It was burning hot.

The officer didn't know what else to do for him. Instead he turned to Mrs Snape. She had come a bit closer, close enough to monitor what he was doing. Still she kept her distance. Was she afraid of him? Considering what her husband had done, for years probably, he wouldn't be surprised.

'Are you alright?, he asked the woman. She did have a few bruises after all. Maybe she had been treated just as badly as her son. He didn't hope so.

'I'm fine, I can handle myself', she answered. Her voice was low, sounded broken. At closer look Graham spotted tears rolling down her face. 'I'm sorry. I should have helped him. It's supposed to be me there, not him. He's so young. I'm so sorry, I...' Here voice broke again, more tears following.

Officer Graham didn't know what to say. She was right, she should have protected her son. She could have left her husband or tell the police. On the other hand, he probably could have done something as well. He had dealt with the man quite often, had seen his violent tendencies. Why had he never taken into consideration that this might have gone on at home as well?

'Calm down. It's all right, now. Your husband won't hurt either of you ever again', he assured her. There was no way he would walk free with this. She just nodded.

Suddenly Graham felt stupid, trying to comfort a woman he couldn't entirely sympathize with, while standing next to her bleeding, unconscious son, whom he couldn't help either. Thankfully the ambulance arrived at this moment.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Eileen sat in the corridor of the town's hospital, hours after the arrest. Severus was still being tended to. It made her nervous. What took them so long? Had something gone wrong? Was he in a worse state than she had realized? At first she had been pacing, asking every doctor and nurse if there were news of her son. They hadn't had any. After a while she had given up and waited. And waited.

Everything still felt so unreal, almost like a dream. She couldn't believe it was supposed to be over now. She was free of her husband, her son was finally safe. She had gone through the last few hours not really following what was going on. Part of her feared she would wake up, back in her house. Part of her couldn't wait to get to the hospital, to see how Severus was doing. Eileen hadn't been concentrated during her interrogation.

The officers had asked her question after question. How long had Tobias been beating her? When had he started beating their son? How regularly had it happened? Why hadn't she done anything about it? This last one had broken her. The tears had flown freely. She had tried to answer, but she couldn't form the words.

Why? Why hadn't she done anything? She was afraid of her husband, so afraid. She didn't dare stand up against him, he had made sure of that. When she had told him she was a witch, that magic was real, he hadn't taken it well. He had screamed, she was a liar, a freak, an abomination. He had beaten her up, badly. She would have left him the next day, even though she was pregnant. Then he had broken her wand, along with her spirit. Without her wand, she was helpless, she was nothing. She didn't know what to do. So she had stayed. And through some miracle, her child had stayed as well. Her husband hadn't beaten her again until she gave birth. Thus her son was born. She had hoped he didn't have any magic. Tobias was mad at her because of this, if he hadn't had any, maybe he would leave him alone. But Severus was magical, and he had shown it early, earlier than she had expected. Eileen had managed to keep her husband away from him for a few years. But not forever. A part of her, a part she hated, had been glad that it wasn't her any more. Even though she despised those thoughts, she had acted on them and just stood by. So Severus had taken the role of protector.

Of course she couldn't tell the officers about magic. She spun a lie that was close enough to the truth. After about an hour they had let her go to her son. Maybe they were satisfied, maybe they had realized that she couldn't concentrate and give full answers. She would come back later, help them imprison her husband. But for now, she had to see that Severus was alright.

Eileen had arrived at the hospital two hours before midnight. A nurse had tended to her bruises. She had tried to hush her away, said she was fine. But hadn't she always said that? Hadn't Severus always said that? It was a lie and the nurse had seen through it. After a while, Eileen had given in. She had to wait anyway. Then she had found herself in the situation she was in now. Waiting.

At quarter past eleven, a nurse finally showed up in the now deserted corridor. Hope and worry rose in her at the same time. Was she able to see him now? Or was the nurse going to inform her something had gone wrong? Was her son even still alive? She didn't want to admit to herself that it was quite possible he wouldn't survive. He had been strong for so long, but at some point, he had to reach his limits. No. No! She couldn't think like this now!

'Mrs Snape?'

'Yes?' She had so many questions she wanted to ask right away. How was her son? What had they done to him? Was he awake? Was she allowed to see him? But she kept quiet. Why? Maybe out of fear. After all, her husband had never allowed her, them, to ask any annoying questions. What he didn't decide to tell them, they didn't need to know.

'You may see your son now.' Relief washed over her. This meant he was still alive. Did it? 'He's unconscious, but stable', the nurse went on as they walked through the corridors. 'We tended to his wounds, quite a few of them needed stitching. We also took care of his fractures, as best as possible, we can't put a cast around broken ribs, and he has a lot of those. At last we checked for any illnesses and previously undetected injuries. He is in a bad situation, I'm sure you're aware of this. But he will heal and there should be no lasting damage. To his body, at least. He will have a lot of scars, though.' They stopped in front of a door in the middle of yet another corridor.

'We have a few questions for you, but that can wait until later. For now, just stay with him. If you need anything just call and we will help you as best we can. A doctor will check in on him in the morning at the latest.' The nurse smiled sympathetically at Eileen and let her into her son's room. It was a normal hospital room, white, small. One bed.

Severus lay on his left side, back to the door. Maybe it was intentional, he preferred it this way. She walked over to him, careful to make as little noise as possible and trying not to invade his personal space. It wouldn't do any good if he panicked now. She sat down on a chair at the window and looked at her son. His eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping. It was his expression that told her he wasn't. His face was calm, but he always had a troubled and very light sleep. He probably was on some sort of sedative. And some other medications, judging by the drip next to his bed.

Eileen didn't know how long she sat there, watching her son sleep peacefully. Maybe she even fell asleep as well. At first she didn't notice it, but then she saw his eyelids flutter, opening slowly.

'Mom?', he whispered, his voice hoarse, eyes still trying to focus. He wasn't completely awake yet, it usually took him a few moments. Except someone touched him. 'I should have protected you.'

'No, it's alright, dear. It's not your job to protect me.' He wasn't listening, still not able to concentrate. What had they given him? Only as he tried to move did he seem to realize that he wasn't on the hard floor at home.

'Where are we? What happened?'

'You're in hospital. Someone reported the noise and, well... Police came and took a look around.' That said pretty much everything. He knew just as well as her that the police couldn't ignore a bleeding, unconscious child. 'He was arrested, there's no way he can walk free with this', Eileen assured her son. He only nodded slowly.

'Did I miss school?', he asked after a while and some laboured breaths, a bit of worry present in his voice. Honestly, she shouldn't be surprised. Missing school had never been an option for him. No matter how badly injured he was, he always got up the next day and went to his classes. Even before he had met Lily last year.

'Not yet, but you will miss at least a week. The doctors won't let you go any sooner', she replied. Immediately she saw panic rise in him. His eyes widened, his breathing grew faster. 'It's alright, you won't be in trouble for this. No one will be mad at you', she tried to calm him down. It didn't help much. She reached out for him, placing her hand on the mattress next to him. No direct contact, though, she knew he would flinch away. Even now he stiffened. 'Severus, you have to listened to the doctors. Your teachers will understand. Lily will understand. And I'm sure she will help you catch up with the lessons once you get better. But for now, you have to do what the doctors say. Please!'

After that he slowly relaxed again. It was an order, he couldn't ignore that. If he disobeyed an adult's command, he would have to face the consequences. He would do anything to avoid that. Eileen hated her husband for doing this to her son.

'It's alright, son. You're safe here. Try and get some more rest, you need it. I'll stay with you and protect you.' He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off before a single word left his lips. 'It's not your job to keep out of harms way, it's mine. I'm sorry I didn't stand up earlier. But I will protect you from now on, I promise.'

He wasn't satisfied with that, she could see that. But she also saw that he was exhausted and sleep upon him again. Eileen smiled at her son before his eyes closed again.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Lily woke up with a strange feeling, something was different. But she couldn't quite say what. Shaking her head she got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. It went as usual. Her mother had the food ready, her father was about to leave for work, Petunia was grumpy, she wasn't the morning type of person.

It wasn't until she arrived at school that she remembered her strange feeling from earlier. Severus wasn't there. He never came after her, he should be waiting for her. Had something happened? She had suspected for some time now that things at home weren't as fine as he said. But was it true? No, it couldn't be, there was a simple explanation. Maybe he slept in, there was a first time for everything.

She began to worry when first period started and he still wasn't here. Lily couldn't concentrate on the lesson, English with Mrs Harrow. Something was definitely wrong here. She decided to ask her teacher after class if she knew anything. But for now, try and follow the subject. It didn't work, her thoughts drifted back to her friend.

After class she stayed behind until everyone else had left and went up to the teacher's desk.

'Excuse me, Mrs Harrow?', she asked politely.

'Yes, Ms Evans? How may I help you?' Mrs Harrow was a rather young teacher who loved her job. She was always friendly to every pupil, no matter how they talked to her. She could be stern, too, but only on very few occasions. She was one of the few teachers Severus got along with. He had his trouble with her as well, but he actually seemed to like her. The feeling was likewise, Lily guessed.

'Do you now something about Severus? He never missed school before...' Lily trailed off. How could she best express her worry? She didn't want to mention her suspicions outright, she had no proof after all. But what if he really was in danger? She couldn't just keep quiet.

'He was called in ill this morning, but I can't tell you any details. I'm sorry, dear.' Something told Lily her teacher wasn't telling her the entire truth. Maybe it was her expression, there was sorrow and pity in her eyes.

'Thank you, Mrs Harrow. Have a nice day!' With that she left for her next class. If someone had excused him, there was nothing she could do. He did look rather ill most of the time, it was possible he couldn't leave bed today. Thus she went on with the rest of the school day. It was less fun without Severus, but it passed anyway. Sooner than she had expected she found herself on the way home.

'Hi mom, hi dad!', she greeted her parents as she entered the house. Lily found them in the kitchen. She had the impression she had interrupted a conversation.

'How was your day at school?', her mother asked.

'Could've been better. Sev was ill today.' Her parents exchanged a look at that. It didn't go unnoticed by Lily. The second time today that someone behaved oddly at the mention of her friend. 'What? What is it?'

'Oh, nothing, dear', Mr Evans answered. She didn't believe him. Something was going on here and she wanted to know what it was.

'It's something about Severus, right?' When she had told them who her new friend was, they hadn't been delighted. They had wanted her to stop seeing him. She had refused, of course. After some time, after she had introduced him to her parents, she had convinced them that he wasn't dangerous or anything.

Another glance passed between the two adults. Her father nodded reluctantly. 'Lily, please come and sit down with us. There's something important we have to tell you.' They went to the living room and sat down on the couch, her parents sitting next to her. After a moment of silence Mrs Evans started talking.

'There... there was a call today. From Severus' mother. He... He's in hospital.' Lily's hand went to her open mouth. She had known it, known that someday something like this would happen. It wasn't surprising, still it was a shock. Hospital. Severus! It had to be something serious.

'Why? What happened?' She could think of quite a few things, but she wanted to be sure. More silence, more exchanged glances over her head. Her parents didn't know how to tell her. They probably wanted to protect her. Lily sighed. 'Was it his father?'

'How much do you know about him?', her mother inquired. She seemed a bit stunned that her daughter knew, or suspected, anything at all. But she herself had warned her about that man, about that entire part of the town. Had told her not to go there on her own.

'Well, he's a drunk, obviously. And I've suspected for some time that Sev is hiding something about his home life. He doesn't like talking about it, or about his parents. It seemed fitting to me that his father is beating him...' She trailed off. How could she best explain her thoughts? 'Anyway, what happened? How is he? Can I go see him?'

'Mrs Snape said her husband had been arrested yesterday evening. Apparently someone noticed shouting and called the police. And they found Severus in the living room, beaten up and unconscious. She said he's still weak and in bad shape, but he'll make it. I don't know if he's allowed to have visitors right now, the doctors probably want him to rest. But we can try, if you really want to', her father explained. Of course she wanted to see him! She had to see him! They were best friends, she couldn't leave him alone now! Overwhelmed with emotions she just nodded.

* * *

About an hour later Lily and her parents arrived at the hospital. They had insisted she eat something before they left. Homework was secondary, luckily. When her father asked for Severus' room, he received the answer he had expected. He wasn't supposed to have visitors, the nurse said. But then they met Mrs Snape.

'Lily?', a soft voice asked behind them. Turning around, she looked straight at a woman with long, black hair and dark brown eyes. Though she had never seen Eileen Snape before, it was unmistakeably her. If only because of the bruises on her face. And the fact that she knew her name. 'You look exactly like he described you.'

'Mrs Snape?', her mother asked politely. They, too, had never met, as far as Lily knew. A slow nod was the only answer from the other woman. She looked exhausted, as if she hadn't slept in days, worry keeping her awake.

'You're here to see Severus, right?' Now it was on Lily to nod. Suddenly she was nervous. What was she about to see? How bad did he actually look? How far had his father gone to beat him unconscious? Fear was rising in her. Was she strong enough to face him now? Damn it, of course she was! Severus had been strong enough to face his father all those years and still pretend everything was fine around others. She could do this! He would be glad to see her, relieved she hadn't forgotten him only because he wasn't in school one day. She could do him this favour!

'He woke up for only a few minutes tonight and has been asleep ever since. I just went to get some fresh air. If you would like to come with me...', Mrs Snape invited them to follow. 'And please call me Eileen', she added. They walked through corridors and up a few stairs to a less busy part of the building. Lily didn't pay much attention, her thoughts were with her friend. At some point she noticed an odd change to Eileen's behaviour. She was casting quick, nervous glances at her father. She seemed to tense with every step as well. It took her some time to figure out what the cause might be. After what felt like hours they finally stopped in front of a door at the very end of a corridor.

'Dad', Lily turned to her father. 'Would you mind to wait outside at first? I'm not sure how Severus would react to you right now. He's always been nervous around you...' Out of the corner of her eye she saw Eileen relax a little. Her guess had been right, then. Her father seemed to get it as well.

'No, of course not. I'll be right here if you need me. Give him my best wishes, will you?' Lily nodded and turned back towards the door, which Eileen opened carefully to let them in.

'Severus, dear, you have some guests', she said softly. Lily didn't quite understand why, she had mentioned that he would probably be asleep. Maybe to warn him someone was coming inside and he needn't be scared. Mrs Snape stepped aside to let them in and closed the door behind them. The room was blank and white, not a single bit of colour. It was bright, too, thanks to the big window opposite to the door. A typical hospital room. Severus would hate it.

He lay on the only bed in the room, facing the window. Lily went over to him. She doubted he was awake, but she wanted to see his face. There were some bruises on his cheeks and chin and a long cut on his left temple. It was bad enough that it had needed stitches. His right arm was wrapped in a cast. She reached out for his hand, but stopped halfway through the movement. She didn't want to wake him.

'Sev?', she asked. She wanted to talk to him, needed to. There were so many things she had to ask him. First of all, why? Why had he never said a word? Didn't he trust her enough?

'Lily?' It was barely more than a whisper. He looked her straight in the eyes, though his were still trying to focus. 'What are you doing here?'

'You stupid idiot! I wanted to see you! What did you expect I would do when I hear you're in hospital? Move on, or what?' Honestly, his selflessness could be annoying. Only when he averted his eyes did she realise that she had raised her voice. 'Sev, look at me, please.' There were tears in his eyes. 'You're my best friend. I wouldn't leave you, especially not in a situation like that.'

'I think you have a few things to discuss here', Eileen said from behind them. 'We're waiting right outside, should you need something.' Lily nodded. It felt strange to talk with the adults listening anyway. When the door closed again, she turned back to her friend, who had pushed himself into a sitting position.

'Was Mr Jenkins mad that I didn't hand in the homework today?', he asked, worried. Lily looked at him flabbergasted. He honestly thought about this now? No teacher would expect him to do homework anytime soon.

'No, of course not! He didn't even ask about it. I think the teachers know you're in hospital.' Mrs Harrow had definitely acted like that. 'Anyway, you're avoiding the subject at hand.' He looked out of the window again, he sure as hell postponed this talk.

'Please, Sev, talk to me. I want to help you', she begged him.


	7. Chapter 6

Flashbacks in _italics_ , as usual.

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

He wanted, he really wanted to tell her. But... He couldn't. He simply couldn't talk. Yes, she knew. Yes, she still came to visit him here. But that didn't mean she wouldn't leave him. He was weak, so damn weak. Why would she want to be friends with him after she knew the full extend of his weakness? Besides, she was angry with him already.

'I already know your father beats you, and I suspected it for some time now. But I want to hear it from you. Plus, I want to know why you never told me? We can start with that, if you like.' She really was stubborn.

'I didn't want to loose you', Severus replied after he took some time to find the right words and the courage to say them.

'Why would I leave you? Because you have scars? I'm not that shallow. And, honestly, you should know that by now.' Of course she wasn't, he probably knew that better than anyone. _He_ didn't mind his scars, but others would. He wasn't handsome, his classmates had made sure he knew that, scars like these... Lily was different, though.

'I... It's not that. I guess.' Severus hesitated. How could he express what he felt? Words always failed him in situations like these. 'You're all I ever had. You're my only friend. You're the only one I feel safe with, really safe. I couldn't bare the thought to loose you if you found out what happened at home. That I'm weak. Too weak to stand up to a drunken muggle, even though I have magic.'

'You think that's weak? He's much older and physically stronger than you. You can't fight him, not at your age. I can't fight him. But we could've figured out a solution together. Go to the police together, ask my parents for help, whatever. But you didn't have to go through this alone. I would have helped you, and I will help you now. Please, talk to me.'

Silence after that. Severus, again, didn't know what to say. How to start. If he should start at all. The hardest part wasn't telling her. She already knew, all she wanted was to hear his version. What he had gone through in his own words. That was the worst part. He would have to admit to himself that he was mistreated. Deep down he knew it wasn't right what his father did to him, or to his mother. Deep down. It didn't really reach him. He still felt like he was at fault. Whenever his father was beating him, he tried to think of something he had done wrong. Stood in the way, dropped something, walked too slow, too fast, too noisy. Too often the only excuse he found was being born to the wrong person.

It was this thought that suddenly hit him. Being born wasn't his fault, it couldn't possibly be. He looked up and caught Lily's eyes. Warm, encouraging. Maybe he could do this. He nodded, took a deep breath, and started talking. At first, he struggled to find the right words, but after a while it became easier.

He told her how it was at first. Mostly shouting, only occasionally did it turn physical, and only against his mother. At least that was what he witnessed. How often he hit her when he wasn't around he didn't know, didn't want to imagine. Then came the night he first felt his father's wrath. There, he hesitated for a moment, it was one of his most painful memories after all. After that his life had gone to hell. Night after night, week after week he had endured the belt, later the switch, mixed with kicks and blows. To his body, to his soul. Somewhere along the way tears came to both their eyes. Neither of them cared.

It felt good to finally be able to tell someone what he'd kept hidden his entire life. So Severus talked and talked and talked. He completely forgot the time until there was a knock on the door.

* * *

Outside, the adults sat in the corridor. There was an awkward silence between them, neither of them knew what to say. They were lost in their own thoughts anyway.

Mrs Evans remembered the day Lily had told her and her husband about her new friend. She had been so excited. It had been summer last year, they had moved to Cokeworth only a few months prior. She had made other friends in this time, but somehow, she seemed to like him the most. In hindsight, it probably was because he could tell her what she was, what made her do all these strange things. Of course she didn't tell her parents for some time.

Yes, Mrs Evans remembered that day. And how wrong she had been to judge the boy without even seeing him at least once.

 _It was a warm and sunny day. When Lily finally came home, the sun was nearing the horizon. Mrs Evans was a bit angry with her. She was supposed to stay with her sister, who had arrived hours earlier. Plus, she was late for dinner. But Lily didn't seem to notice her mother's disapproval._

 _'Hello mom, hello dad', she said, sitting down at the table, smiling brightly. 'Sorry I'm late. I completely forgot the time. You see, I made a new friend today...' She told them how she had met him on the playground this morning, first a bit irritated by his sudden appearance. But after talking to him a bit, she had quite liked him._

 _'You really want to be friends with that strange kid? Honestly?' Petunia scowled, looking disgusted. The adults exchanged a glance. Sure, their daughters often chose different kinds of people to be their friends. But for Petunia to be disgusted at her younger sister's choice? That wasn't normal._

 _'And does your mysterious new acquaintance have a name?', Mr Evans inquired._

 _'Huh? Oh, yeah, it's Severus. Severus Snape.' Stunned silence. The parents had heard about the patriarch of that family, of course, usually bad stuff. The town drunk, good for nothing, stay away from him, things like that. He was known around the neighbourhood for being easily provoked and starting fights. For their daughter to be friends with the son of that man..._

 _'Lily, you have to stop seeing him. This boy is a bad influence for you', Mr Evans said sternly. Now it was on her to be shocked._

 _'What? Why? He's not a bad influence, he's nice! Only because he's poor?'_

 _'You know we don't mind that, we never did', Mrs Evans tried to explain. 'But his family is not the kind of people I want you to be around. Mr Snape has a bad reputation, he's known to the police...'_

 _'But Severus is not his father! He's not like that! You don't even know him, yet you judge him. Isn't that what you always tell me not to do?'_

 _Her parents considered for a moment, she was right after all. They always taught their daughters not to judge a person they didn't know._

 _'Fine', Mr Evans finally answered. 'But I don't want you to set foot into this part of town. You can meet in the park, or here, but not at his home.'_

 _Lily, of course, agreed._

A quiet sob in the otherwise silent corridor brought her back to the present. Eileen sat next to her, shaking, tears threatening to spill. She laid a comforting arm around the other woman's shoulders, ignoring the slight flinch.

'Hush, it's alright', she tried to calm her down. 'You don't have to worry anymore. It's over, it's alright.' Eileen shook her head, wiping away her tears, almost angrily. Nevertheless she didn't shy away from the touch.

'It's... I...', she stammered, lost for words. Mrs Evans pulled her closer, softly stroking her shoulder, doing her best to comfort her.

'If there's anything we can do for you or Severus, you only have to ask. We will do our best to help you', she said while looking at her husband, who nodded reassuringly.

'Actually, there is something you might be able to help me. Or him, more specifically', Eileen replied after a while. She took a few deep breaths before she went on. 'I don't know if they will allow me to further take care of him. After all what happened, after all the things I failed to do... I didn't protect him like I should, I don't think they can overlook that. I know it's much to ask, too much probably, but do you think you could see to it that he finds a good family?'

Mrs Evans again looked at her husband. They had talked about it before Lily came home. It was quite likely Severus would be taken away from his mother and they had discussed if they could help him. Take him in, to be clear. They had come to a conclusion, though not the one they would have liked the most.

'We thought about that as well. Should it come to that, he could stay with us for some time. We have a guest bedroom where he could sleep. But I'm afraid we can't take him in permanently. We just can't afford a third child...'

'Oh thank you! Thank you so much! That's more than I dared hope for!' Eileen seemed so happy about that answer, even though it wasn't a long term solution, there were tears in her eyes again.

'It's not a problem, not at all. We're glad we can help you two', Mr Evans assured her.

After that Eileen started telling them a few things about her son. He was easy to handle, always polite, always wanting to help in the household. He did well in school and tried to stay out of trouble. She tried to avoid talking about his relationship with his father, not yet ready to share those memories.

The talked until the sky changed to a deep orange. They hadn't really cared about the time, as long as Eileen didn't have to sit and wait here alone with her thoughts. But now that the sun was setting they had to go back home.

'I'm sorry to bring this conversation to an end, but we should probably leave now. Petunia comes home soon, she'll be wondering where we are', Mr Evans said after a quick glance at his watch, it was already nearing 5 pm. He had left a note for his eldest daughter, but didn't want her to be alone at home too long. They stood up to go back to their children just as a doctor and a nurse rounded the corner, walking towards them. The woman carried a bag, presumably with some supplies.

'Ah, Mrs Snape, good to see you', the doctor addressed Eileen. 'I see you have visitors?' He seemed a bit surprised by their presence. And not quite happy that Severus had visitors at all, though he didn't try to send them away.

'Our daughter, Lily, is friends with Severus. She wouldn't keep quiet until we agreed to come see him', Mr Evans explained.

'I'm glad to hear he has such a good friend. Anyway, we're here to see to him and change his bandages. I think it's best if your daughter isn't present for this.' Lily would probably argue against that, but the doctor was right. Mrs Evans didn't want her to see this, and she doubted Severus would want her either.

'Of course, we were about to leave anyway. It's getting late and she still has homework to do', Mrs Evans said. Eileen was already standing at the door and knocked softly before entering the room, leaving the door open for them to follow.

Both children were sitting on the bed. They had obviously been talking. The content of the conversation wasn't hard to guess when Severus quickly looked away and wiped a hand over his face. There were traces of tears on Lily's face as well.

'Sorry to disturb you, but I fear it's time for us to leave', Mrs Evans interrupted the silence. Lily looked a bit disappointed, but didn't object.

'Good evening, Severus. I hope you got some rest. Now I would like to take a look at your injuries', the doctor said after stepping into the room and closing the door behind himself. Severus visibly tensed at his words.

'Can't I stay a bit longer? Only a bit?', Lily asked, noting his reaction.

'No, Lily, we really have to go now, it's later than we wanted it to be anyway. Petunia's probably home already.' She looked at her friend. Severus just shook his head.

'Okay, then. I'll come visit you tomorrow', she promised.

'Would you mind bringing your school stuff along?' He really wanted to do school work now, in this situation? Eileen definitely hadn't exaggerated when she had said he did well in school.

'You are insufferable', Lily said, grinning. 'Of course I will.' The doctor looked like he wanted to object, but didn't say anything. The family said their goodbyes to Eileen and Severus, Lily still reluctant to leave. The ride home was mostly silent, everyone was lost in their own thoughts.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Severus didn't look at the man. Sure, he was a doctor, and he was kind, yet he didn't trust him. He scared him a bit, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe he shouldn't have sent Lily away. On the other hand, he didn't want her to see him like this.

'Well, Severus, would you mind if we remove your shirt?' He _did_ mind, as a matter of fact. He didn't want to make himself vulnerable to them, they were strangers to him. But what choice did he have? If he didn't comply, they would force him. He didn't know if he would like the consequences. He slowly reached out to lift his shirt. Damn that cast, it made everything more difficult. At least it wasn't his left hand.

'No, wait, I'll help you with that', the nurse interrupted him. She carefully lifted his shirt over his head. At least he was allowed to do the rest himself. Then she began to remove the bandages around his chest. They had only wrapped his broken ribs and left the other wounds uncovered. Most injuries were in this area anyway. He flinched away involuntary when her gentle fingers made contact with his skin. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you', she apologized. When she was done with the bandages, the doctor stepped forward and took a closer look at his injuries. Severus tensed.

'This looks quite good, better than I expected, in fact', he said after a moment. 'You have a very good self-healing.' It had been necessary, if he wanted to hide his homelife. His wounds closed quickly. They would have healed faster, too, had his father not constantly reopened them. His magic couldn't help him much with that.

'If it goes on like this, you may leave hospital in a few days.' Good, he hated it here. This bright room alone set him on edge, though he couldn't quite figure out why. 'For now, I'm going to put some antiseptic on your wounds. We don't want them to get infected, do we?' The doctor continued to pull some things out of his bag. Severus still didn't look up.

'This might sting a little bit', the doctor warned. Meaningless chatter to make him feel safe, make him relax. As if he would fall for that. He knew it would hurt, they knew that too, but he had experienced worse pain. The man was careful when pressing the compress to his wounds, though that didn't stop the disinfectant from burning on his sore skin. Severus kept in the hiss threatening to escape. He tried to stay stoic, ignore the pain. It didn't work very well. Somehow healing wounds always hurt more than fresh ones. He clenched his fists and pressed his eyes shut, he tried to get away by leaning forward. But there was no way to ease the pain, he could only endure it until the doctor was done.

'Very well, this should be enough for today. You were very brave, to go through this without making a single sound.' He hated being talked to like a small child, it made him feel stupid. Anyway, what choice did he have? He couldn't avoid the treatment and neither could he ignore his father's first rule: Don't you dare make a sound. Of course, he didn't tell the doctor. Rule number two: Don't talk back to an adult. He just bared his teeth slightly, hiding behind his hair, so neither the doctor nor the nurse could see. Latter wrapped his ribs again before helping him back into his shirt. Meanwhile the doctor checked on the medication in the drip, whatever it was, and reconnected the tube to his hand once the nurse was done helping him dress.

'Okay, this is all we want from you right now. Dinner should be here in a few minutes, after that you should go back to sleep, you still need a lot of rest. If you need anything, please call and someone will help you', the nurse said, the last part to both Severus and Eileen. He heard the whispered 'thank you' from his mother, then footsteps and a door opening and closing. He released a shuddering breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

'Come on, dear, lie back down. You're shaking.' He hadn't noticed that either. He did as his mother had suggested and sank back onto the pillow. Now that the strangers were gone, he could relax a bit. Already he ached all over from that little bit of tension. How had he ever been able to endure his father's beatings? It seemed so long ago, though it hadn't even been a full day.

Dinner indeed arrived soon after. Severus wasn't really hungry, but his mother's pleading eyes made him eat at least a bit. Exhaustion made itself known and he gladly lay down to sleep.

* * *

Severus woke up in the middle of the night. It took him a few moment to remember that he wasn't at home. He was sweating, and shaking, breathing rapidly. Blurring images danced before his inner eyes. A nightmare, or a memory? He didn't know, it didn't matter. His father had been in it.

'Hush, dear. It's alright, it was just a bad dream.' He flinched at his mother's words, hadn't realized, or expected, her sitting next to him. She took his hand, stroking the back of his fingers with her thumb. 'It's over, there's no need to be afraid anymore. He will never hurt you again.' Severus didn't reply, instead focused on his breathing, tried to get it back to normal. It took him some minutes.

'Do you want me to call someone? To change the sheets?', she added at his puzzled expression. Only then did he realize they were damp from his sweat. As was his shirt. It was strange to sleep with it. He shook his head, he didn't want anyone else to be around him right now. They would only worry and ask him if he was alright. Instead his mother helped him turn the sheets around so that the damp side was up.

'What if he walks free?', he asked after another moment, suddenly feeling the need to voice his worries. There was still a slight chance his father might get away with this. It wasn't against the law for a parent to hit their child, he had just gone further than was commonly accepted.

'He won't. I won't allow it', she said with a fierceness to her voice which almost made him flinch again.

'But what if?' Severus was ashamed for the pleading, the bit of fear in his voice. Eileen looked at him, really _looked_ at him.

'We move, we get away. I don't plan to live with him anymore. I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough to do this sooner. I'm so sorry...' She broke of, tears forming in her eyes. Severus looked away, he couldn't stand seeing her like this, breaking. He wasn't sure if he should be disgusted with himself for it. 'I'm sorry', she repeated after a while, after she had pulled herself back together. She let go of his hand, too.

'What happens next?'

'I'm not sure. There probably will be a trial of some sorts, I guess. We'll see what the judges decide there.' If his father would get sent to prison or walk free. If he would stay with his mother, or parents, should the worst case occur, or if he would be placed somewhere else. An orphanage or another family. He wouldn't have a say in it.

'Will I have to be at court?', he asked. He tried to keep his voice neutral, keep the fear inside. For he feared this might happen. Was quite likely to happen. Seeing his father again, soon. Worse, speak up to him, speak _against_ him. Should it not work out in his favour... He doubted he would survive that beating. Eileen seemed to see the fear in his eyes, despite the lack of light in the room.

'I... I don't know', she said slowly. 'Your statement would be appreciated, I guess. But I don't think anyone would force you, if you don't want to go.' He only nodded. He definitely didn't want to, he doubted he would get out a single word, freezing at the mere sight of his father. As he always had. He wouldn't be of much help.

'And after that? Will we be able to stay together?' He didn't want to be separated from his mother. Or from Lily. Didn't want to be placed with muggles, where he would have to hide his magic. Again. Even more maybe.

'Honestly? I doubt it. If your father is sent to prison for that, I might be, too. And even if not, who would see me fit to raise a child after I failed to protect you for so long?' She had thought it through. Had considered that outcome and tried to figure out what to do. Had she come to a conclusion, though?

'I talked to Lily's parents about it today. They can't take you in permanently, they said. But you can stay with them for a few weeks, until things are settled. If you like, that is.' He didn't know what to say. Did he want this? Sure, it was Lily. He knew her, knew her family. And they knew him. They weren't strangers to magic either. But did he want to move in with them? Even if it were for only a few weeks? Petunia didn't like him, that much was certain, and he wasn't sure about Mr Evans. Mrs Evans would fuss around him, pity him probably. He hated being pitied. He really did not know what to say to this suggestion.

'Think about it, you don't have to decide right away', his mother interrupted his thoughts. 'You should go back to sleep anyway. It's still early enough to get a few more hours of rest.' She was exhausted, too, he could hear the strain in her voice. Who was he to deny her the sleep she so desperately needed? Just as he did, but that was his own problem.

* * *

Lily had trouble falling asleep that night. She turned and twisted in bed, her thoughts drifting back to her friend in hospital. What he had told her this afternoon, the things he had endured. Things she didn't dare imagine. She wished she could have helped him with it. But, he hadn't wanted her help, hadn't allowed it. Would have never told her if it hadn't come down to this. She was a bit disappointed with it, that he hadn't trusted her enough to tell her. Had believed her to not want to be friends with him anymore.

She turned around again. Suddenly the air in her room felt stifling. Lily got up and walked over to the window, opening it to the cold night air. She leaned against the window sill, taking deep breaths. It was freezing outside, but she didn't mind. It was soothing, calming her thoughts. Severus would be alright, she decided. He was safe, away from his father. His wounds were being treated. And she would visit him as often as she could. She couldn't do anything else, she wasn't a psychologist, she wasn't even an adult. But she was his friend.

Sighing she closed the window and went back to bed. This time she actually found sleep.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Dr Albert Harrison didn't know what to make of the boy. He had expected him to be scared, to try and hide, or escape. Or the opposite, be angry, cheeky. He had expected _something_. But this complete lack of reaction... He didn't know what to make of it.

And yet here he was again, in a room with him. Staring at his back, the criss-crossing wounds on it, while Nurse Davis applied the antiseptic. Though they were mostly closed, they were still red around the edges. And definitely hurting, despite the painkillers. He had reduced them this morning, tomorrow he would set them off completely. The boy was young, and severely malnourished, being too long on too many medications would do more damage than good.

His injuries healed fast, way faster than Dr Harrison thought possible. Well, it wasn't a bad thing. The wounds on his back would take a few more weeks to scar completely, but already they were closed enough to say there was no further risk of infection. It remained to be seen if he had caught one the last few days or not. He would have to take antibiotics that long.

The ribs were a different matter. They would need at least six weeks. Six more weeks of pain, six weeks of being careful to not crack them again. From what he'd seen on the x-rays, Severus knew how to handle that, though. The same with his wrist, but at least that wouldn't hurt all the time. He would have to see a doctor to check if the bones healed correctly, at least every two weeks. The boy would probably try to avoid it as long as he could.

None of that had to be done at hospital. As he'd said yesterday, he probably could go home at the start of next week. Or, wherever he would be going. Not his problem, but he couldn't help thinking about it. Who would take in a traumatized child like him? Maybe his friend's family could do something. Or maybe he would go back to his mother. He didn't know what to think about that, about _her_. He would have to talk with her soon, about her son. About that scar on his wrist, currently hidden beneath the cast. Maybe this afternoon, if her son's friend indeed visited again.

His friend, Lily, he recalled. Such an unlikely combination, the two of them. The bright, happy girl and the quiet, dark boy. He could only marvel at how they had found each other. It was good he had a friend who stayed with him now. She would probably arrive here soon, it was early afternoon. Homework. Severus had asked her to do homework with him! He had wanted to object, wanted to tell him he should rest and leave it be for now. But the boy had seemed... tense, almost scared. As if he feared his teachers' anger should he not hand it in. Seeing this, he hadn't said anything about it.

Nurse Davis was done with the treatment. Just as yesterday, Severus had stayed silent throughout, not making a single sound, showing only the smallest signs that it indeed hurt. What it had taken for him to remain such, he didn't really want to know. He could imagine quite well, only looking at his back. The nurse again helped him into his shirt, covering the horrible picture of his father's attention.

Dr Harrison just opened his mouth to say his goodbyes when a knock sounded at the door. So he'd been right to assume it was almost time for his friend to come. His colleague let them in. Still the boy showed no reaction. Not even at his friend entering! He just sat there on the bed, back to the door, head bowed. Was he really that afraid?

'Well, Severus, it seems I have to leave now that your friend arrived', he said, standing up from where he sat next to the bed. The boy didn't even nod. 'I'll see you tomorrow then.' He turned toward his mother. 'If you don't mind, I would like to have a word with you.' The woman looked at her son before she got up from her chair at the window, leaving him staring at nothing. She greeted Lily and her mother and left the room with him.

* * *

'I'll be back in a few hours. Have a nice time!', her mother said while leaving the room. She gently closed the door behind herself.

'Thanks, mom!' Lily sat down in the chair Eileen had vacated only moments earlier. 'How are you?', she asked Severus. Her friend only stared ahead, eyes unfocused. His hands trembling slightly. 'Well, if you don't want to talk, we can start with homework instead.' She dropped her bag onto the bed next to him. And immediately regretted it as he flinched away violently. Only now did he seem to realize someone else was in the room with him, not the doctor anymore. 'Sorry', she apologized. He looked out of the window.

'So, how are you?', she tried again.

'Fine.' Lily raised an eyebrow at him. As if she would buy that. Not now.

'You have to try better than that.'

'I'm fine', he repeated, his tone making clear he didn't want to talk about it. 'How was school?', he asked instead. Fine, she would let him change the subject. For now.

* * *

'So, how are you?', Mr Harrison broke the awkward silence between them. They sat in his office, a cup of tea in front of both of them.

'I'm alright', Eileen replied. _Better than Severus_ , she added in her head. Dr Harrison knew that anyway. How rigid he had been just now. She had never seen him like this, not to this degree. Sure, he always drew into himself whenever his father was beating him. To protect himself from the emotional blows. But never so far that he didn't seem to realize anything happening around him. She was more than a bit worried about this, to be honest.

'I heard police came here this morning...' Right, that. Severus had still been asleep when there was a knock on the door and two officers had entered the room. The same two who had arrested her husband. They had asked how her son was doing. Then they had updated her on the investigations. The charges should be enough to send him to prison for a few years. Though corporal punishment wasn't against the law, he had definitely crossed the line between what was accepted and what was abuse. Beating Severus unconscious on a regular basis, breaking bones, not caring that his son might die from it. At last they had informed her that she would not be allowed to take her son in after he was released from hospital. That matter would be settled at another trial, which wouldn't take place within the next two, maybe three, weeks. Eileen had told them the Evans family was willing to help at first.

'Yes', was her only answer to the doctor. None of this was his business. When he kept looking at her questioningly, she added: 'They had a few things to tell me. About the investigation and such.' He nodded, seeming to understand she didn't want to share details.

'Anyway, do you have an idea why I wanted to talk to you? Away from your son?', he said.

'I have a few guesses.' The nurse from Monday had told her there would be a few questions she would have to answer to the doctor. She had expected him to come to her earlier. He nodded absent-mindedly, probably thinking about how best to word whatever he wanted to ask first.

'When we took care of his injuries on Monday, we couldn't help but notice that scar on his right wrist. You know which one I mean?' Eileen only nodded. The obvious question, the one she had expected the most. And dreaded. 'You do have to admit, it looks a lot like suicide.'

'It was', she blurted out before thinking. But it was obvious, wasn't it? 'It was', she repeated, lifting her head to look Dr Harrison in the eyes, already feeling the tears rising.

'Why? What happened?' No fancy talking around the point, then. She could work with that, preferred it this way.

 _Blood, there was so much blood. It was the first thing she noticed when she entered the room. It would always be the first thing coming to her mind whenever she remembered this day._

 _She had wanted to come down to him earlier, see if she could do something for him, bring him some food. But it had taken her some time to clean up the mess upstairs. The broken glass, the spilled alcohol, the blood. The last hadn't been much, but it hadn't come off easily._

 _At first she thought the blood was only coming from the injuries on his back. Wanted to believe it. But it was too much. Of course it was far too much blood for that. He hadn't even used the switch, nor had he hit his bare back. For tripping and breaking a few glass bottles. For that he had beaten her son. Yes, he had beaten him for less, for nothing. But somehow this one had hurt the most. Enough for Severus to keep a shard in his hand and slash his wrist. Commit suicide._

 _Eileen cursed herself for standing in the door in shock for so long. Only a few moments, but in this situation it could mean the difference between life and death. She also cursed herself for allowing her husband to brake her wand. With it it would've been a matter of a second to close the wound. Without it... She found an old rag on the floor, whatever it had been for. It was dirty, but it would have to do for now. Better risk an infection than let him bleed out. She could still disinfect later, when her husband wasn't looking. She kept a few supplies hidden in the kitchen._

 _Quickly she wrapped the cloth tightly around his wrist. She held his arm up and pressed on the veins along his forearm. Luckily the blood flow stopped only a few moments later. She stayed with him a bit longer after that, as long as she could without raising suspicions from her husband._

She told Dr Harrison as much. He listened patiently through her broken words. It still hurt to remember this. He nodded approvingly when she came to her treatment of the wound. After she was done he remained silent for some time, thinking about what he had heard.

'How old was he?', he finally asked.

'Seven.'

'Seven? How did he even know this would kill him? At seven!', he blurted out, shocked about how young he had been.

'He already had first hand experiences with blood loss. Often enough it wasn't the pain alone that made him fall unconscious. We... We talked about it. When he asked', she added. She hadn't meant to describe him the way to death.

'Why didn't you take him to a doctor?' For him, it would have been the obvious action. The only right thing to do. But he didn't know the consequences of this.

'Why?', she repeated. 'Because my husband was upstairs. He would have noticed. He... He wouldn't have tolerated it. Would have beaten me for trying to take his son away. Would have beaten Severus for being a coward and trying to kill himself. I know I should have, but I didn't want to risk it.'

'And later? When your husband was gone? Surely he did leave the house at some point.' He sounded disappointed. She didn't blame him.

'I wasn't brave enough.' As she'd never been brave enough to leave. There had been chances after all. But she didn't know how to survive in the muggle world, alone with a child, to make things even more difficult. Returning to the magical world wasn't an option, without a wand.

'You could have spared him three more years of suffering.' It sounded like an accusation, it probably was. And it definitely hit home.

'I know.' What else could she say? He was right.

'Well, we can't undo the past. What's done is done', Dr Harrison said, trying to comfort her. It didn't help, it didn't even sound honest. He blamed her, at least partially. 'Anyway, is there anything else I should know?'

Eileen thought about it for moment. She wasn't going to tell him about the magic, that much was sure. He would call her crazy. And he already knew what had been done to her son, had seen all of it himself. Apart from that...

'Don't touch him if it isn't strictly necessary, especially not when he's asleep. You will scare him to death.' Better clarify it again.

'I figured as much, but thank you. Anything else?' She shook her head. Nothing she could think of now. 'Alright. Thank you for your time then. Though I think Severus is in good company, you should probably be near your son anyway. In case something happens.'

Eileen nodded, said her goodbyes and left the office. Outside she exhaled deeply. Well, that went better than she had expected.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 _five days later_

Severus was nervous. He would be leaving hospital today. Sure, that was a good thing. He felt like he would go made if he had to stay in that awfully bright and bleak room any longer. The constant fussing of the nurses and doctors. At least he had been allowed to get out of bed and walk around a bit. But Dr Harrison had forbidden him to stay outside for longer than a few minutes at a time. It was February and therefore freezing. Not good for his health. As if he cared. As if he had ever cared. Thus being trapped indoors, around the other patients, he had preferred his room. He was glad to leave it now, today.

On the other hand this meant he would stay with Lily and her family, as his mother wasn't allowed to take him in again. Yet. He still didn't know what to make of it, though. He looked forward to being around her more. But he dreaded being around Petunia and Mr Evans. How they would react to him being present all day.

To make things worse, Dr Harrison had said his wounds still needed treatment. Only applying healing salves once a day, but... He couldn't do that himself. Parts of his back, maybe, but not all of it, definitely not with a broken arm. Not doing it wasn't an option, Mrs Evans would make sure of it. Thus he would have to let her do it. The problem was, he didn't really know and therefore didn't trust her completely. Letting her anywhere near his back, he didn't know if he could handle it. His other option was letting Lily do it. She would probably agree. Anything to help him, she would say. But he couldn't stomach the idea of her seeing him like this. Seeing his scarred back. Anyway, he doubted her parents would allow it.

Severus sighed. It was a trap. He couldn't stay, he couldn't go. He didn't know what to do. A small part of him wished things hadn't changed. That no one had noticed, that he were still with his father, still facing the daily beatings. At least he would have known what to do.

'It's going to be alright, you'll see', his mother tried to cheer him up. He nodded absent-mindedly. A look at the clock revealed it was nearly time for them to arrive. Lily's parents had said they would come pick him up before school was over, to allow him to settle in before Lily came home. Right now they were waiting in the hospital's entrance hall for them.

His mother got up from the seat next to him. When he looked to the doors, he spotted them. Both of them had come, he had hoped only Mrs Evans would be there. He suppressed another sigh and stood up as well. They walked over to greet them. His mother carried his bag, only a few spare clothes and his school things. He'd never had many belongings. Only what was strictly necessary, sometimes not even that.

'Hello Eileen, hello Severus!', Mrs Evans said, shaking his mother's hand and nodding towards him. Mr Evans offered to take the bag. Severus tensed slightly. Whenever his father had laid hands on his things it was likely he wouldn't see them again. He didn't know why he projected that expectation on Mr Evans, though.

'Are you ready to go? Do you have everything?', Mrs Evans asked him. He shrugged. No, he wasn't exactly ready, but he wouldn't say that. He couldn't avoid it anyway, so best go forward and face it. 'Well, then let's go.' She sounded so happy, probably wanted to make it easier for him, lift the tension. That would take some time. They crossed the parking lot and walked to their car. Eileen would come with them, see where he would stay, reassure herself he was alright. Severus didn't mind it, he actually found it comforting, not having to go into this new situation alone.

* * *

Severus sat on the bed. His bed, for now. His mother had left a few minutes ago. Mr and Mrs Evans, Richard and Mary, as they had asked him to call them by their first names, had brought her to the door, leaving him to get accustomed to his new room. It wasn't big, but a bed, a cupboard and a table with a chair easily fit in it. A window sat in the wall opposite the door behind the desk, a plant decorating the windowsill. He would try to identify it later, he had always been good with it. The walls were painted in a warm shade of yellow, not too bright or dominant, but welcoming.

He hoped Lily came home soon. He felt... lost in this house without her. Sure, they had showed him around. Not that it had been necessary, he already knew where everything was. He supposed they had done it to officially welcome him in their house. In his new home.

Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door. 'Sev? May I come in?' Lily. She was home. How long had he sat there, lost in his own thoughts? 'Sure.' She entered and closed the door carefully behind her. Then she sat down next to him.

'How was school?', he wanted to know before she had a chance to ask him if he was alright. She had already opened her mouth. A small smile crossed his lips. Lily rolled her eyes.

'Actually quite nice. We had a free period in the morning, Mr Jenkins had an appointment.' She told him a few more things, subjects they had discussed, homework they would have to do. 'Anyway, we can talk about this later. Mom said lunch is ready.'

'Do I have to come?' He had never eaten with them before. When he had visited they had taken some food upstairs to Lily's room. Now, with their whole attention on him, it wouldn't be easy.

'Yes', Lily said simply. This time it was on him to roll his eyes. At least she would also be there. Thus they went downstairs. Lunch was already on the table. Mrs Evans, Mary, came out of the kitchen to join them and her husband in the dining room. She smiled at them.

'Ah, you're exactly on time, I just finished. It's not much', she said, turning towards Severus, 'We'll have a bigger dinner in the evening when everyone's home.' Petunia and Richard, who usually would be working until afternoon. He only nodded. 'Not much' was already more than he would have eaten in a whole day at home. Or two when things were bad.

After lunch Severus and Lily went back upstairs to do their homework. It had been better than he had expected. His hesitation to eat at first had drawn the attention he had dreaded, but as soon as he did eat, it shifted away from him. They actually didn't ask him one single question. Good.

'So, we've already done history. What would you like to do first, then?' He doubted she only referred to homework. _Talk first or do school stuff?_ , was more what her question had sounded like.

'Don't know, maths?' Lily sighed, but didn't comment on his choice.

* * *

Evening came earlier than he would have liked. Dinner was served and passed equally uneventful as lunch. Petunia shot him a few glares, which he answered accordingly, but nothing more from her. This time, though, Mary went upstairs with him. In his room she made to close the door but left it ajar, not wanting to trap him in there, he guessed. Not that it mattered with her standing in front of it. She wanted to talk with him, he couldn't avoid it.

'So, did you enjoy your first day with us?', she asked to brake the tension. He shrugged, could have been worse, a lot worse. He still felt strange, out of place here. He supposed it would take some time. It had been _fine_ , he decided, but didn't voice it. Lily would have snorted, claimed it was his standard answer and therefore not really an answer at all. She wasn't wrong.

'I was wondering if you want to go to school while you stay with us or wait until later?'

'I do. Want to go back to school, I mean.' Of course he did, what was there for him to do in this house? Lily went, why shouldn't he do so as well? Thanks to her he had no work to catch up. He'd assumed he would go with her tomorrow, anyway.

'Am I reading you right that you want to go tomorrow already?', Mary asked a bit surprised. How did she know? Usually he was very careful to keep his thoughts to himself, out of his eyes. Maybe the tone of his voice, he had been a bit sloppy with that. He nodded.

'Well, if you feel ready, I'm fine with it.' Good, he didn't know if he could change her mind, find the words to do so. 'Then to the other matter I wanted to talk with you about. As you probably know, Dr Harrison said we need to apply a healing salve to your wounds for a few more days.'

'Dr Harrison already did it this morning', he intercepted her before she could ask him to do anything.

'So, tomorrow morning, then. I guess you don't want Richard to do it.' It wasn't a question, but he shook his head anyway, hesitating at first. 'Are you comfortable with me helping you?' He turned his head away. He couldn't say no, but didn't want to agree either. Thus he just nodded. He had another night to figure out what to do, to prepare himself.

'Alright. Do you want the door to be open over night?' Another shake of his head. 'Anything else I can do for you?'

'Would it be alright if I sleep without a shirt?', he blurted out before he realized what he was doing. Asking for something. An adult! Had he gone mad now? He was about to apologize, try to avoid what was sure to come, when Mrs Evans interrupted him.

'Of course, if you like. It's not a problem', she said, smiling warmly. That smile irritated him a bit, though he didn't let it show. As did her general reaction. Well, the Evans family was different to his own, he supposed. She wished him a good night after that and left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Severus slept fitfully. On one hand he was glad to have his own room again, alone. In hospital he had to share it with his mother, who had insisted to stay overnight. He hadn't minded that much, he just wasn't used to it. On the other hand he didn't know what to expect from Lily's parents. Would they come into his room in the middle of the night? Probably with good intentions, check if he was alright. His father had not. It made him wake up at every sound outside. But they didn't come.

When he opened his eyes it was still dark outside, stars visible through the window, thanks to a cloudless night. Only once had he seen the stars at night, summer three and a half years ago, when he had run away. One night of freedom. Relatively, the worries about his mother had kept him awake.

It was no use to go back to sleep, so he got up and put his shirt back on. He checked the bed for stains and found none. Good, he didn't want Mrs Evans to be angry because he'd bloodied their sheets. Severus walked over to the table and sat down, looking out of the window, watching the stars. He couldn't understand why most people didn't like the night. It was quiet, calm, and offered plenty of opportunity to hide. Unless, of course, you were trapped inside with a drunk of a father who hated you. That part he didn't like, either.

All to soon the sky faded from dark blue to grey. Only a few minutes more and Mrs Evans would come to wake him up, tell him to get ready for school. Probably ask again if he really wanted to go. He wouldn't change his mind, not even to avoid some of the teacher's pity, as they surely knew why he'd been absent for a week.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

As expected, Mary Evans knocked on the door a few minutes later. She didn't ask to come inside, likely didn't think Severus would be awake yet.

'Good morning', she started, then stopped abruptly when she saw him sitting at the window. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't expect you would be up this early.'

'It's alright', he murmured. She had knocked, it was enough to allow him to prepare himself.

'Okay. I'll be more careful tomorrow, anyway. It's about seven o'clock, breakfast is ready downstairs in about ten minutes. Richard will drive you three to school today, he's leaving in an hour', Mary informed him, which he answered with a simple nod. 'So, er, would you like me to... help you now or after breakfast?'

'Now?', he said uncertainly. Better get over with it. Mary indicated him to follow her to the bathroom. She closed the door behind him, not to make him feel uncomfortable, but to prevent others peering in and seeing him when he didn't want them to. Especially Lily. He cast her a quick glance before removing his shirt, already knowing he couldn't avoid it any longer, while she took the salve out of the cabinet over the sink. He heard an audible gasp from behind himself.

'My dear, you really have to eat more!' It was not what she meant. He knew his back looked horrible, it had definitely felt like it. He only shrugged, it didn't bother him. Would people ever understand that?

Severus felt Mary hesitate behind him. Then she placed a gently hand on his shoulder. He flinched. Even though he had expected it, even though he actually started to like her, he still hated being touched. She halted again. He tried to relax, tried to show her it was alright, but with her hand on his shoulder, it didn't quite work. After a while she seemed to get it anyway and started applying the salve. It didn't hurt, the wounds were closed, yet it was uncomfortable. He hoped she was done soon, already his hands were shaking, his back aching from the tension. Especially the lower part around the spine. It hadn't really stopped hurting yet, Dr Harrison had told him two of his vertebrae were cracked and that it would take weeks to heal. The pain was usually dull enough that he could blend it out. He'd had worse.

'Good, we're done, my dear', Mrs Evans said, putting the salve away again, giving him space and a bit of privacy. Severus exhaled deeply, glad he'd made it through the first treatment and had a full day until it would be repeated. He quickly put his shirt back on, not wanting to make himself vulnerable any longer than he had to. 'Are you alright?', Mary asked from behind him. A stiff nod was the only reply he could give right now. 'Then let's head down for breakfast. And you will eat something', she added with a fake stern voice.

As they left the bathroom they saw Petunia waiting impatiently, an annoyed look on her face. Severus bowed his head and walked past quickly, not wanting to get onto her bad side this early in the morning.

* * *

The three arrived early at school, thanks to the ride Mr Evans had given them. Severus would have preferred to walk, to avoid being stuck with Petunia. As he had expected, she wasn't happy with his presence. So far she hadn't told him outright, just looked at him with annoyance in her eyes or ignored him completely.

As soon as they got out of the car she went off towards wherever it was she met with her friends. Lily and Severus made their way to the classroom, not bothering to hurry, there was plenty of time until the teacher would arrive.

'Come on, I'll carry your bag', Lily offered. Not her as well. Especially not her! He didn't want her pity.

'I can do that myself.'

'At least let me help you. You have a cast on your right arm, if you haven't noticed.' She didn't let go.

'I'm fine', he insisted. Yes, the cast made things more difficult, but he'd dealt with broken bones before. Without a cast, without someone noticing.

They reached their classroom a few minutes later. It was only half past eight, but it was already unlocked. They settled into their usual seats in the back. Severus doubted she had set there over the last week, probably moved to the front.

'So, how did you sleep? Did you get some rest? An honest answer, please. I won't tell mom and dad', she added with a wink.

'Not really...' He trailed off. Lily wanted to know more, but she didn't push, knowing he was searching for the right words. 'It's... I don't know. I guess I don't feel safe there. Yet. I don't know what to expect. It makes me nervous.' He wasn't sure if he should have said it like this, if she would understand. But she wasn't mad, or tried to tell him her parents wouldn't hurt him. She nodded.

'I don't think I can fully understand what it must be like for you. I hope you get used to this new situation soon', she said carefully, she wasn't familiar with this kind of talk either. He shrugged.

They heard voices and motion from the corridor, other children started to arrive. Soon the first entered the classroom. They noticed the two of them sitting in the back, taking another glance to insure he was there as well. Surprise, Severus realised, they were surprised to see him here. But not happy with it, judging by the sneers and hateful expressions. He ignored them.

Shortly before nine, Mrs Harrow walked in and unpacked her things on her desk. She did a quick count of the pupils, checking if someone was still missing. Her eyes halted on him, a slightly startled expression on her face. So the teachers hadn't expected him to return to school so soon after being released from hospital, either. She smiled at him, then went back to preparing her lesson.

After class she asked him to stay behind. At a sidelong glance from him Lily nodded to confirm she would as well. A few of the boys snickered and whispered when they left the classroom. When only the three of them remained Mrs Harrow closed the door.

'It's good to see you back at school, Mr Snape. Are you alright so far?', she asked, her voice warm, but a bit concerned. Why did everyone think he should stay at home? What was he supposed to do there? Resting wasn't possible, though they probably didn't know that, and healing, he could do that at school just as well as at home.

'Yes, ma'am, I'm doing good', he answered politely.

'That's nice to hear. Is there anything I can do for you?' He wanted to roll his eyes at her. He liked her, he really did, nevertheless he didn't want her fussing around him. And why did everyone suddenly want to help him anyway? None of the adults in his life so far had cared about him, more specifically his home life and well-being, before.

'No, thanks, I'm fine', he just said, a bit annoyed now. He wanted this conversation to be over. They were already late for their next class. History, of all things. Thankfully, Mrs Harrow seemed to realized that as well.

'Alright. If you need something, you can always ask me. You know that, right?' On his nod she added, 'Now, go on to your next subject. History, isn't it? Mr Jenkins will be glad to see you again, too.' Severus honestly doubted that, but refrained from voicing his opinion.

They took their leave and hurried to their next classroom. Well, hurrying was a bit of an overstatement, Lily set a rather slow pace. He didn't complain, though, his lower back ached again. Damn it! They reached the history classroom a bit later than he would have liked and slipped in quickly.

'I'm sorry we're late, Mrs Harrow wanted a word', Lily apologized.

'Not a problem, Ms Evans, not at all. Oh, Mr Snape, it's good to see you. A bit surprising, though.' Severus didn't answer, didn't look at Mr Jenkins. He bowed his head and hid behind his hair. The man still made him feel uneasy. 'Well, then. Please take a seat, we were just about to start.'

It went on like this. Every teacher they had was surprised to see him, but gave him his best wishes. It annoyed Severus to no end. He was glad when school was over and he walked home with Lily. Petunia would spend her afternoon with some friends, for which he was grateful, too. Lily was oddly silent, but he didn't mind. After today he enjoyed some quiet, maybe she thought so as well.

'Hello you two!', Mary greeted them cheerfully from the kitchen when they entered the house. 'How was school?' His mother usually asked the same, but more to get him to talk, take his mind of things. Not because she was genuinely interested in it. She had other things to worry about. Mary Evans on the other hand had no such burdens. She wanted to help her children with their sorrows. She wanted to help them be happy, to laugh. Indeed, Lily immediately started talking, about boring lessons, things they had learned, homework. Nothing about Severus, though. She left him to decide if he wanted to tell her anything and what.

'How did the teachers react to you returning to school?', Mary asked, turning to him. Damn, he had hoped to avoid talking at all. Well, he could at least try, he supposed. They were too kind to him, take him in for a not yet known period of time. He was in their debt after all.

'They were surprised.' Not really what she had meant. She probably wanted to know if someone had taken him aside, asked him if they could help, if he was alright. Too many had.

'Oh, they definitely were, I'd say. You surprised _me_ when you said that yesterday', she said, trying to start a conversation with him. Not what he was used to, his mother was satisfied with a 'fine' and then accepted that he didn't want to talk. When he actually had something to share, she listened, but on the other days she didn't push.

Lily seemed to feel his uneasiness, his growing tension. She mumbled something about a lot of homework and that she desperately needed his help with it. Severus was glad about the excuse to leave.

* * *

That evening Severus found himself sitting on the windowsill again, looking at the night sky. It was a bit cloudy, the stars only partially visible. It was only about half past six, the moon hadn't risen yet. The streets were emptying, the last people coming home from work or wherever they had been.

His eyes locked on the plant to his feet. A camellia, he had found out earlier. He wasn't familiar with this flower, his mother had never mentioned it when they were talking about magical plants and their use for potion making. It either had a minor meaning or none at all, he supposed. Or they just hadn't come to it yet, they hadn't had much time. Hopefully, that would change soon.

* * *

A/N: In the Victorian language of flowers, Camellia japonica stands for 'My destiny is in your hands', if my research is correct, hence the title.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

 _Two weeks later_

Severus was on edge. It was the day of his father's trial. He wouldn't attend. Police had wanted him to, but he had refused. Or, he had told Mrs Evans he wouldn't go when she had delivered the request and she had told the police. He still couldn't talk back to _them_. But this didn't change the fact that he wouldn't attend.

His mother would, however. She had come by yesterday evening, had filled him in on what would happen today. The court would hear the accusations and decide whether to sentence him or not, to prison or to a penalty. It sounded simple, but it was a long process. Eileen speaking as witness would be appreciated, Severus himself even more so. If he'd manage to talk at all.

They would not, however, decide if he could live with her again. Not today. It would be a separate hearing. His mother had done everything in her power to give them good chances. First of all, she had cleaned the house, repaired the furniture as best she could. He'd seen her progress when he'd been back to the house. Just once. To pick up a few things he hadn't thought he would need. He was glad he had found an excuse to do so. It was a place of many bad memories, a place he might go back to. He hadn't known for sure if he could handle returning to this house. Things had changed, his father wasn't there any longer, the cause of his horrors gone. But the memories remained. As did the nightmares. Visiting had helped. Now he knew he was willing to go back. Willing to try. A few more things would change, should she be allowed to take him in again. He would be using his mother's bedroom while she would be sleeping in his father's room. Another aspect he was glad to hear. He doubted he would dare go in there, let alone sleep in his bed.

She had also found a small job. It didn't bring much money, certainly not enough to support the two of them, but it was a start. She was trying to get a better paid job, but it would take some time, she'd said. Should his father be sentenced to prison, they would receive financial support for a few months, anyway. After that... She either had a good job, or she would have to marry again. It would be a problem in court as well. A woman, alone. Even though Eileen was his mother, most judges would probably rather sent him to a functioning family, husband and wife. They had talked about it, more than once. Their chances were slim, despite her efforts. He would definitely be at that hearing.

But for now, go through today. For him, it would be normal school day. Go to classes, listened to the teachers, survive brakes, then go home, do homework, eat. And wait to hear something about the trial. This would make things difficult. Draw on his concentration, on his appetite. The teachers might notice the first, they didn't know today was the day. And even though Mrs Evans was aware of it, she would comment on the latter. She still pushed him to eat more. He'd become used to it.

Time passed by in a haze. Already he barely remembered getting up, or breakfast, or walking to school. He sat in class, distantly hearing the teacher talking about this and that. He scribbled something in his notes, so it appeared that he was paying attention. He would catch up with Lily later. He had tried to follow the lesson. Tried and failed. Luckily no one asked him anything.

Then it was brake. The others hadn't picked on him as much lately. They were still lurking around, whispering when they thought he didn't notice it. Or when they knew he did. They stayed away, though. Mostly. There were still... encounters. Nothing violent, nothing that required him to see the school nurse. The doctor's appointment last week had been bad enough. Anyway, the other pupils left him in peace. As long as Lily was around. Speaking of her...

'Do you want to talk about it?' Of course she knew what was bothering him today. Of course she knew it was tearing on him. She hadn't asked so far, given him the time to start this conversation on his own. Now it was getting obvious he was absent-minded, he guessed. Still he hesitated. Alone, in her room, maybe he would have talked. But here, at school, with other children, his enemies of some sort, listening. He didn't want them to know the details. On the other hand...

'What if he's cleared? What if everything goes back to how it was before?'

'You're afraid of that.' It wasn't a question. It was a truth they both knew. He nodded after another moment of hesitation. 'I don't think it will be as before. People know. He won't do that again. Even if he's cleared, even if you have to go back. People will look, the teachers, we, I. You won't have to go through this again.'

Severus wanted to believe her. He actually knew she was right. There was no way he could do this again, not without someone noticing. Not anymore. But something in him didn't accept, couldn't accept this knowledge.

'Come on, let school take your mind off these thoughts. You can't change what's going to happen, whether it turns out in your favour or not. Stay in the present, it's all you can do.' It was meant as good advice. He understood it as good advice. But it didn't help.

Time continued to pass. Severus didn't know whether he wanted it to pass slower or faster. Slower, because he dreaded the decision the court would make. Faster, because he wanted to know it. In the end he couldn't influence it. Then it was late afternoon, school was over, and he found himself on the way home with Lily.

Mr Evans opened the door. Severus didn't look at him, didn't want to read in his face what had happened, not here, almost on the street, where everyone could see. Richard didn't say a word, just let them in, leading them to the living room. There his mother sat on the sofa. She got up as they entered.

When he saw her smile, her genuine smile, he knew it was over. It was finally over. He couldn't hold back the tears that came to his eyes. Eileen walked over and hugged him. He allowed it, this time he allowed it. He leaned against her and cried, silently.

'It's over, it's done. He will never, ever hurt you again', she whispered into his hair. He could hear she was crying as well. Tears of joy. The first he had ever witnessed on her, on himself. He didn't care that Lily saw, that Mary saw. That Mr Evans saw. Relief overwhelmed him, something he'd never thought he would feel in this intensity.

After a moment he parted from her, took a small step back, and looked up at her. He couldn't form the words he wanted to say. How had it gone. He didn't need to. Already Eileen was motioning for him to sit down.

'We'll leave you two alone, then. You can tell us later, if you want', Mrs Evans said from the doorway. They had already taken a few steps out of the room.

'Stay.' A single word, said quietly. But all three stopped, settled down to listen. When he looked at Lily he saw tears in her eyes as well. And a bright smile on her face. His mother started talking.

* * *

 _The courtroom was mostly empty. For her son's privacy, only witnesses and family members were allowed. Thus only Dr Harrison, the officers from the arrest and Eileen herself were present. And Tobias, of course. He didn't say a single word when she entered, only stared her down. She held her head high, but avoided his eyes._

 _The trial started as every trial did. The judge, jury and attorney entered and took their seats. The accusations were read. Of course, her husband's lawyer pleaded not guilty. The man referred to his right to discipline his child as he saw fit. And his wife, for that matter. The jury nodded, they were inclined to clear him. Luckily, there were still the witnesses._

 _Officers Graham and Miller spoke first. They described the occasions then they had to deal with him, that often he was quite violent. After that they went over the evening of the 16th February in every detail. The state the interior of the house was in, her son's condition. Her husband's failure to see he had crossed a line._

 _Next came Eileen. At first she struggled under Tobias's angry glare, barely able to utter a word. But than she thought of her son, what he would have to endure should she fail to defend him properly. Now that it mattered most. She swallowed her fear and talked. How he had been violent towards her, how he had beaten –_ whipped _– his son to the point of unconsciousness almost every night for years now. Often without sufficient reason, one a child his age couldn't possibly understand. Only on very rare occasions did he actually do something wrong. She saw a few jury members nod at that. Most of them probably had children of their own, maybe even around Severus' age._

 _Last came Dr Harrison. His part was describing the injuries he had found on her son. He took out a stack of photographs he had taken right then he had arrived at hospital and showed picture after picture to the jury. He explained the x-rays, showed them where the bones were broken or had healed incorrectly. He took his time to go through every single one, let them sink in. Let it sink in that, additional to the injuries, he was severely malnourished, making it far more difficult for his body to heal. He also added a few impressions he had made over the days. How frightened the child was, especially around men. But how open, almost happy, he could be around a person he trusted. The doctor's last words, his conclusion, still rang in her ears._

 _To me, it's a miracle he survived this long.' Often she hadn't realized how close he had come to dying. It hit the jury as well. Quite a few of them had to wipe away tears after that._

 _The defence didn't bring in witnesses of their own, likely hadn't found any willing to speak in favour of her husband. Thus the jury withdrew to discuss their decision. Guilty or not guilty. It didn't take very long, a quarter of an hour later everyone was back in the courtroom to hear the jury and, hopefully, the sentence._

 _'We find the defendant guilty of all charges.' She slumped back in her seat in relief. Tears were in her eyes again. After that it went quick. Her husband was spoken guilty, the sentence was read. Seven years in prison, no right to see his son or Eileen ever again. She was automatically divorced from him with that._

 _After the trial she thanked the officers and Dr Harrison for everything they had done for Severus._

* * *

Everyone in the room was silent. Severus was thankful for that bit of peace, he needed to sort his thoughts again. So, his father would really go to prison, then. And he wouldn't be allowed to see him again, that alone would be a reason to call the police. Good. Still he was glad he hadn't been present. He wouldn't have stood up for himself.

Suddenly Lily came over to him and hugged him, making him stiffen in surprise. He didn't know how to react, didn't move at first. Then he laid his arms around her as well.

'I'm so happy for you. It couldn't have turned out better, I guess', she said. There was still the matter of where he would live, but for now he had to agree with her.


	13. Epilogue

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

 _Eight days later_

It hadn't been so long ago that Severus had wished to leave this street, this house behind himself forever. Leave and never turn back. Now he was glad to stand in front of it again. Number 21 Spinner's End, Cokeworth.

The decision had been made yesterday. He would live with his mother again. Not with some strangers, who probably didn't know about magic, maybe react to it as badly as his father. The judge wasn't aware of this, of course. He had decided upon the facts Eileen had given him.

She had a job, the house was in relatively good repair, he would have a proper room to sleep, a bed. She had also argued that he knew her. Opening up to a stranger, an entire family he didn't know, would take him time. Time that wasn't needed should he be with her. Plus, he knew his way around here. She hadn't mentioned the obvious argument, that she was his mother. She'd told him beforehand that it didn't matter in her eyes, she had failed him, the judge would see that, too. Thus, she wouldn't bring it up. The judge had also asked him for his own opinion, his own choice, though he didn't have to, Severus had no voice in court yet. Asked if he wanted to start anew, with a different family, or go back to his mother. He didn't hesitate to choose the latter. The man had leaned back and thought about it for a while. Then he had agreed.

He would go back home. Because it was still that, his home. Despite the bad memories, despite the ugly neighbourhood. Despite everything.

His mother had picked him up from school today, had taken the day off. She had already collected his things from the Evans' house and brought them back here. Along with the Camellia. Mrs Evans had gifted it to him when she had seen how he had taken care of the flower. He had tried to refuse, but Mary had heard none of that. Thus he was now in possession of a potted flower. The first thing he owned apart from clothes and school stuff. Unnecessary stuff, in his father's opinion. It had started to bloom yesterday, red blossoms.

'Shall we?', his mother asked from beside him. He looked up at her. She looked so much better, healthier, now that her husband wasn't around anymore. Ex-husband, he had to remind himself. Severus nodded. His mother stepped forward and opened the door for him. Inside she switched on the light, it actually worked. Not only one or two light bulbs went on, but all of them. For as long as he could remember, at least one had always been broken. The walls were patched up as well. The covering not yet done completely, but at least the brick work didn't show anymore.

'When did you do all this? And how?', Severus couldn't help but wonder. She winked at him. 'Wandless?'

'What? You've been doing it for years. It's not that hard if you know how to.' True, but he'd only done small things, lifting pebbles, extracting a drop of water from a river, healing the smallest cuts. Not repairing an entire house.

'But how? This must have cost you a lot.' With a wand and practice, it was probably easy, Severus guessed. But his mother had neither.

'Basically it's a simple 'Reparo', and the house isn't that big. Though it took me a whole Saturday to locate all the damage. As you're seeing, I haven't done the wallpapers. I thought you might want to help me select some.' To decorate the house in a new way. One that wasn't even remotely similar to the old. He nodded, yes, he would like that.

They went upstairs, to his new room. Left the cellar untouched. Eileen motioned for him to open the door this time. It wasn't big, similar to the one he had occupied at the Evans's house. A bed, a wardrobe, a table and chair, a window. It was arranged differently, though. The wardrobe behind the door on the left, the table near the window, also on the left wall. The bed on the right, taking almost the entire length of the room. The space between door and window was empty. His flower stood in the middle of the windowsill. He liked it.

'Welcome home!'

* * *

A/N: This is where the story ends. It was planned to end roughly five chapters earlier, but I couldn't help myself and write more than I had expected. Thus, thirteen chapters it is. I'm not saying that's everything there is, though. Maybe, when I have an idea, there might be another chapter or two. We'll see...

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! (And maybe found the easter eggs in this chapter?)


	14. Bonus 1

Author's Note:

Bonus chapter! Because I like to see my poor boy suffering.

(I said I might return to this FF if I had an idea...)

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

* * *

 **Bonus 1: The doctor**

'Dr Harrison', the nurse said while entering his office. 'We have an emergency coming in in about ten minutes.'

The man sighed inwardly, his shift was supposed to be over in half an hour. An emergency could very well take longer than that. Even a simple alcohol poisoning, which he guessed. Nevertheless he got up from his chair behind his desk, it was his job after all.

'Alright, Ms Davis, what do we have?', he inquired while they were making their way to the ER. Ten minutes weren't a long time to get prepared, he'd better hurry and save as much time as he could.

'Severus Snape, 10-year-old boy, beaten unconscious by his father. Officers say it's bad, really bad. They arrested the man.' This made him stop dead in his track. He turned around and looked at the nurse in disbelieve. Only now did he realise how shocked she looked.

'What? Holy...' He almost cursed. If the police had arrested a father for disciplining his son, it really must be bad, given that it was in his right to beat his child. Forget about wanting to go home on time, this was definitely more important!

When they entered the ER a few minutes later the nurses were already preparing the room. As best as they could without knowing what exactly they would be facing. Dr Harrison had just put on his gloves when he heard the sirens of the ambulance outside. Only a few moments later the paramedics arrived with their patient.

At first he thought they'd brought an empty stretcher. Only on a second look did he spot the small form, definitely too small for his age, of the boy on it, wrapped against cooling out. He was impossibly pale, his skin almost white in contrast to the black of his hair. Dried blood covered his left temple, presumably from a cut, caused by hitting the edge of a table or something similar.

The paramedics removed the sheet, lifted him onto the examination table and rolled him over. Dr Harrison stared in shock. His entire back was covered in drying blood, no chance to make out the severity of the wounds. He nodded at the paramedics, signalling them they could leave. Then he turned to his assistants.

'Ms Davis, take his vitals. Mr Jones, prepare the x-ray, full body scans. Mrs Thompson, please help me remove the rest of his clothes. After that we'll clean his wounds. Ms Taylor, please document what we find, with words and pictures', he ordered. This was definitely systematic abuse, started long before tonight. He needed to know how far the boy's father had gone, what he had done to him. And evidence would probably be needed later on.

When he and Mrs Thompson were done with their task, he let out a small, careful sigh of relief. So far he could see no signs of rape, no suspicious bruising or anything. Though he noticed the scars on the boy's feet. Brutal, but no immediate concern, there was nothing he could do about scars.

While his assistant prepared some sterile compresses with a disinfecting liquid and Ms Taylor took pictures of the child's feet and back, he turned to the other nurse in the room.

'Vitals are a bit critical. His pulse is low, but at least regular. He's breathing on his own, though laboured. I guess a few broken ribs and some sort of cold. Temperature is too high as well, 39.7°C', Ms Davis reported.

'Alright. He'll need antibiotics and pain relief, that should help with the fever as well. But that can wait till after the x-rays. For now please just keep watch over his vitals. If it gets worse we have to act fast', he said, nodding slowly. Then he returned to his next task of cleaning the wounds.

He took a compress and started at the right shoulder, the one closest to him. He could already see that it was swollen and didn't look normal. Dislocated, he guessed, but he had to wait for the results the x-rays would provide until he could set it. Not that he caused damage to injuries he could not yet make out. He already suspected a broken wrist.

It took it's time for the dried blood to come off. Dr Harrison had to be very gently as to not reopen the wounds. Even so he couldn't always avoid it. He was just done with the shoulder blades when the boy stirred. Only a little, but enough to indicate he might wake up.

'Ms Davis, are his vitals holding steady?' She nodded. 'Good. Please give him a mild sedative. I think it's best he stays asleep until we're done.' He didn't want the boy to panic. He imagine it to be quite scary, awakening in hospital, alone among strangers. Had he arrived conscious, it would have been a different matter, of course.

The nurse nodded again and went to work. But when she took his hand to inject the needle, already in preparation for the infusions later, the boy flinched away violently. He was about to wake up completely.

'Skip it. Quick, the sedative', he ordered hurriedly. But Ms Davis was already moving. She took the syringe, grabbed his arm and searched for the vein, which wasn't difficult with his pale skin. The boy tried to jerk away, but he was too weakened to succeed. Ms Davis had a calm, but fast hand, thus she managed to administer the sedative even with his movements. 'Hush, it's alright. We want to help you. You're safe', she whispered to calm him down. The boy still struggled, tried to fight the sedative, though it was clear he would loose that fight. They waited a few more minutes to be sure he was fully asleep again.

'Alright', Dr Harrison said. 'We better hurry a bit. I fear his system won't take much of this before he slips into a coma.' He went on with his treatment, though a bit faster than before. When he was finally done he took a closer look at the injuries.

He could count each of the boys ribs, and most of his vertebrae, if he wished to do so. Most of his skin was covered in bruises of various age and colour. A few were already fading, pale yellow or green, while others were still fresh, those ranging in colour from dark red to deep purple. That must have happened over the last few days or early today. His right side was a nasty shade of dark blue and purple, indicating broken ribs, as nurse Davis had suggested.

A criss-crossing pattern of long, straight cuts spread across the boy's back. Wounds inflicted with a switch or even a whip. Others were shaped like a belt buckle. Underneath all those marks he could make out layers of scars. This had been going on for _years_! And no one had noticed.

It made Dr Harrison feel sick even looking at the poor child in front of him. Sure, corporal punishment against children was legal and a common practice, though there was a change in some parts of society. He had felt the belt himself in his own childhood. But not like this, never like this.

He waited until Ms Taylor was done taking photographs before he addressed his assistants again. 'Right. Ms Davis, Ms Taylor, please take him to Mr Jones and have him x-rayed. And while you're at it, measure and weigh him. Mrs Thompson, help me prepare for further treatment.' While the others left he gave instructions what they would need next. 'Some of those cuts need stitching and we might need a cast, his right wrist might be broken. Also bandages for when we are done and clean hospital clothes. In the meantime I'll see if I can get him a single room, he needs quiet to rest.'

A few minutes later they were all back together. Ms Taylor had brought the x-ray-pictures which Dr Harrison examined right now. As expected the right shoulder was dislocated, but not broken. At least not this time, he could see signs of old fractures. Right wrist and forearm were broken, both not for the first time. The left arm was currently not injured, though it had been before. His ribcage wasn't better. Multiple old fractures, along with four broken and two cracked ribs.

Then, to his horror, he saw that two vertebrae of the lumber region were cracked. It took considerable force to achieve that. The only explanation the doctor could come up with was that the boy had been thrown against a wall several times, hard. And the healing process was rather painful.

Apart from that the x-rays showed only old injuries on his legs and ankles. Thankfully, for some miracle, those had healed better than could have been expected under the given circumstances.

'Well then, I'll set his shoulder, then you can put on a cast', Dr Harrison instructed. Easier said than done. It was one thing setting a dislocated joint while the limb was okay. It was another thing entirely when there were broken bones involved as well. He had to be very careful to hold the forearm as still as possible. Otherwise the broken ends of the bones might move against each other, changing a clean, simple fracture to one that required surgery.

Luckily Dr Harrison was experienced with such kind of injuries. It took him some time, but in the end the result was respectable. He left his colleagues to do their job while he turned to the task of stitching up all those cuts that needed it, beginning with the one on the boy's temple.

He was just about to begin when Mrs Thompson interrupted him. 'Doctor, you might want to take a look at this', she said hesitantly. She held the boys wrist. Now that she had turned it slightly, he could see the small scars in his palm. But that was not what she meant.

What she meant was the one single scar on his wrist, directly above the veins. The one that implied intention for death. It was possible the boy had done it himself, though Dr Harrison doubted it, given his young age. He found it more likely his father was behind it and had tried to make it look like suicide. But for now he had more pressing matters at hand.

'Alright. Ms Taylor, put it in the record. We'll have to ask some questions later on, but it's no immediate concern', he said, a bit dismissively. He really had other things to worry about now. Such as tending to the injuries, getting the boy on medication and then into a warm bed to rest. Everything else he could see to when he had spoken to the police and maybe even the boy's mother, if she was available.

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A/N: Yes, bonus 1. Number 2, the phone call from Eileen to Mrs Evans, is already written, it should be up in a few days. Third would be some thoughts from Mr Jenkins. If you have some more ideas, you're welcome to write them in the reviews. I'll see if I can work with them.

Thanks for reading and please leave a review!


	15. Bonus 2

Disclaimer:

Everything, that in some way sounds like JK Rowling (characters, plot, dialogues, etc.) belongs to her.

The mistakes (spelling, grammar, whatever) are mine, though. So, if you find some which escaped me, please send them back. I'll care for them.

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 **Bonus 2: The mothers**

Eileen sat next to her sleeping son, thinking. It was a lot to precess, what was going on right now. Her husband arrested, her son in hospital. She really could not say what the future held.

A soft knock sounded on the door, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was still early in the morning, barely past seven. Who would come to see them now? Frowning she got up to open the door. A doctor stood outside, along with the nurse from yesterday.

'Good morning Mrs Snape, I'm Dr Harrison and you already know Nurse Davis', the man introduced himself and his colleague. 'May we come in and check on your son?' Eileen nodded and stepped aside to let them through. They waited for her to close the door before all three of them went over to the bed. 'Has he been awake so far?', the doctor inquired in a hushed voice, while the nurse checked his vital signs.

'Yes, tonight, around midnight I guess. But not very long', she answered, equally quiet. Normally he would be awake at this time, or at least waking up. Under the circumstances she wasn't overly worried that he was not.

'Vitals are looking good. Temperature has gone down a bit and his pulse has normalized. He's still trouble breathing, though I'd blame that on the broken ribs. Over all I'd say it's a normal development', the nurse reported from next to her son. Dr Harrison nodded approvingly.

'Would you mind if we keep him sedated a bit longer? He should rest as much as possible, especially the first few days. Yesterday evening I got the feeling he has trouble sleeping when others are around', he asked, turning to her.

'If you think it's best and won't harm him', Eileen answered after considering it. She didn't like having her son on some muggle medication, but she couldn't say that. Therefore she had to trust the doctor that he would know what to do. The man gestured for his nurse to do as he'd suggested. 'By the way, what else did you give him? I had no chance to ask tonight.'

'Painkillers, antibiotics against the fever and possible infections, and a nutrition boost. He is severely malnourished, I think you're aware of this.' It wasn't an accusation, at least it didn't sound like one. How was she supposed to feed her son properly when her husband drank away all the money? Dr Harrison seemed to understand this. 'Is there someone you would like to call? Family or someone else you wish to inform about the situation?', he asked further.

'Has the school been informed Severus won't attend for some time?' He had been worried about missing school, after all. And in any case they had to be notified.

'I believe the police took care of that.'

'Good. Otherwise... Well, maybe...', she trailed off. She was thinking about the Evans family. Lily would certainly be curious why Severus wasn't at school, seeing that he'd never missed a day before. And her parents should know what had happened, before her daughter got the news from someone else. But was she the right person to tell them? Or was she ready to do so right now?

'You don't have to decide right away. Just so you know, there's a telephone at the end of the corridor which you can use, should you need it', he said, smiling reassuringly at her.

'Thanks. And thank you for helping my son.' She had expected no less from a doctor, but that didn't mean she couldn't be grateful anyway.

'Nothing to thank for. It's my job. And he deserves it.' There was a bit of pity in his expression. It surprised her a little. Sure, she knew perfectly well what he had seen yesterday. But that he was fully on her son's side was something she hadn't expected. 'Have a nice day. I'll come by in the evening. In the meantime try to relax as well. You won't do anyone a favour if you're stressed out. But don't hesitate to call if you need something.' He nodded at her, then left with the nurse.

Eileen leaned back in her chair. Returning back to her earlier thoughts. She had to call the Evans'. But when could she be sure the girls were out of the house, at least on their way to school? She didn't want to call when they were still at home. This conversation would need time and a quiet place. Well, school started at nine, it would be a save time. She just had to hope Mr or Mrs Evans were at home.

Thus around nine o'clock Eileen left the room and made for the telephone Dr Harrison had said would be at the end of the corridor. Luckily there also was a local telephone book. She'd counted on it, as she didn't know the Evans family's phone number. At least she knew their address, so it wasn't too hard to find the right number.

She dialled, nervously. She hadn't thought about what she would say. Now she realised it would have been a good idea. She didn't know how much Lily had told her parents about magic, so she had to cover up at least a bit of the story. And there was not enough time to prepare herself while the phone rang. Well, she'd have to go with the situation and make up the excuses on the way.

* * *

Mary Evans had just closed the door behind her husband, leaving for work, when the phone rang. She wondered who might call at this hour, she didn't expect any calls, and friends or relatives usually called in the afternoon or evening. Curious she went to pick up the phone.

'Good morning, Mary Evans here. Who am I talking to?', she introduced herself.

 _'Mrs Evans? Good morning. It's Eileen. Snape. My son is friends with your daughter.'_

'Ah, yes. How may I help you?'

 _'Do you have some time? It... It's important.'_

'Of course. What is it about? Is there a problem with our children?', she asked while sitting down in the armchair next to the telephone, placed there for long phone calls. Like this seemed to be.

 _'No! No. Nothing I'm aware of, at least. It's... Well. I don't know how to say it. But...'_ She trailed off, clearly at a loss for words. Mary waited patiently. It sounded like a difficult subject for Mrs Snape. _'It's about Severus. He's in hospital.'_

'What... What happened?', she asked softly after a second of shock. The way Mrs Snape spoke, and the fact that she'd called her at all, implied it was something serious.

 _'Er... You know my husband's reputation, I believe?'_

'That he has a certain liking for alcohol? Yes...' It was a careful phrasing of the words _town drunk_.

 _'That's putting it nicely.'_ It sounded a bit sarcastic. _'Well. When he's drunk he... He tends to get violent. And...'_ Again, she trailed off. Her voice sounded a bit shaky. A suspicion formed in Mrs Evans' mind.

'And it doesn't stop when he gets home', she finished for Mrs Snape.

 _'Yes.'_ Now she could definitely hear tears in the other woman's voice.

'And yesterday he turned on your son?'

 _'Yes.'_ Mrs Evans was glad for sitting already. Getting drunk was one thing. Starting fights in bars while drunk, well, that happened. But directing this kind of violence at one's own child? That was another thing entirely. The ongoing silence on the other end of the telephone brought another question to her mind, though.

'It wasn't the first time this had happened, am I right?', she asked carefully.

 _'No, it wasn't. But this time someone called the police and, well... When they found Severus unconscious in the living room they arrested my husband.'_ Mary almost choked on her breath. Unconscious? What had that man done to his own son that he was unconscious?

'Do... Do you want to talk about what happened?'

 _'I think you, and your husband, should know. And decide what you want to tell Lily. Because I guess she will ask about him sooner or later. Please forgive me if I take some time to find my words. I... It's still so fresh.'_ Mrs Snape sounded relieved that she'd brought it up, rather than her having to ask whether Mary would listen.

'Of course. I'm in no hurry.'

 _'Okay. Thank you.'_ Mrs Evans nodded, though, of course, she was aware Mrs Snape couldn't see that. There was a pause, the other woman was probably thinking about what to say.

 _'Well, as you said, it wasn't the first time this had happened. It all started when he lost his job at the mill, when it closed almost ten years ago. He had been drinking before then, but not as often. And he usually controlled himself at home, or passed out quickly. But after that he... changed. At first he directed his anger only at the furniture, then at me, and then at his son. For some years now, I'm ashamed to admit.'_ She broke off. The tears had started to sound through a few sentences back.

 _'He would hit or kick him, or he took off his belt and beat Severus on his bare back. Later he even used a switch. He practically whipped him. Whenever he was in a foul mood, or when Sev annoyed him. Or whatever. Sometimes he muttered something along the lines of "respect" or "teaching proper manners". Why he thought Severus needs that, I have no idea. I really don't know why he hated our son so much._

 _'I know I should have acted. As his mother I should have acted. But... I just couldn't. I was so afraid. Of what he might do.'_

The line went silent after that for a while. Mary could hear Mrs Snape silently crying at the other end. She herself felt tears running down her cheeks. It was horrible! Horrible to hear it, and even more so picturing that a child had really gone through this. A child she knew!

'I don't think I can fully imagine how scared you must have been. Sure, a mother should always protect her children. But I don't think I have the right to judge you on a situation I have never experienced myself. I don't blame you', she finally spoke into the growing silence. Of course she was wondering why Mrs Snape had never done something, why she hadn't gone to the police. But it was true what she'd said, how could she judge her for what she'd done? Or hadn't done.

And wasn't she herself at fault as well? She knew Tobias Snape's reputation, knew he was a drunk, and a violent one. And she knew Severus. She'd seen how shy he was, and how jumpy. She'd seen how unhealthy he appeared. Why hadn't she drawn the conclusions and stepped in? Or at least offered her help?

There were many people to blame. First and foremost Mr Snape for treating his son that way. Then the teachers, or Mr and Mrs Evans, for not acting. If one would like to go so far maybe even Lily, as she had surely noticed something odd, for not going to her parents. But Eileen and Severus Snape were victims, they were definitely not at fault for this. Blaming them was _wrong_.

 _'Thank you. I really appreciate you saying this.'_ It was barely more than a whisper.

'What triggered it this time, if I may ask?' The question was purely out of curiosity. To form a picture of the situation in her head.

 _'Sev didn't do his history homework, I believe. He got a letter from his teacher. My husband doesn't like it when Sev draws negative attention on himself. Plus he probably saw it as a good enough excuse to punish him.'_

'I see', Mary said. 'Is there something I can do for you or your son?'

 _'No, thank you. Just listening was a great help already. It's... It's hard to talk about it.'_

'Of course. I can imagine this whole situation is not easy for you. Well, if you need something, you can call. I'm at home today, so you should catch me any time. And thank you for telling me all this.'

 _'Yes. I'll better go back to Severus now.'_ There was an awkward silence between them, neither wanted to hang up first and appear rude.

'Right. Give him my best wished when he wakes up. See you!', Mary said eventually, then hung up as it was clear Mrs Snape was too polite, or scared, to do so.

With a sigh she leaned back into her armchair. Now it was on her to think about what had occurred and what she would make of it. Of course she would tell Lily, at least the basics. But first she had to speak with her husband, when he came back from work around noon.

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A/N: Hope you liked it and please leave a review!


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